Redefining the former site of
Old Mountaineer Field, the Life Sciences Building provides a
striking new entrance from the North to WVU's downtown campus.
This new 190,000 square-foot building, built at an estimated
cost of $43 million, will significantly enhance the student
experience, aid in recruiting outstanding faculty, and ensure
that the land-grant, comprehensive public university of the
state of West Virginia is not left behind as we enter the next
millennium and the new age of the life sciences.
The design of the Life
Sciences Building is intended to improve the definition of the
new quadrangle of the lower bowl area of the downtown campus as
a center of scholarship and instruction. Future plans for the
new quadrangle, which currently consists of the College of
Business of Economics, include a park-like mall, parking
facilities, and a new Forensic Sciences Building.
The exterior of the Life
Science Building incorporates traditional and innovative
materials, brick-to match Woodburn Hall-glass, and pre-oxidized
copper. This combination of materials will respect the site's
rich traditions and proximity to historic Woodburn Circle, while
proudly projecting the image of a bold new state-of-the-art
facility for cutting-edge science.
Using the steeply sloping
site as an advantage, classrooms are dispersed across three
floors with grade-level access. This brings students into the
core of the building and fosters interaction between departments
and the university community in a dynamic environment.
Defining a new horizon from
Woodburn Circle, the new building encourages and enhances
pedestrian connections with the adjacent Sunnyside neighborhood,
becoming the new gateway to the north side of campus. Terraces
are vital components of the complex, taking advantage of the
site's rich topography to create outdoor spaces for study,
relaxation, and conversation.
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