Construction has begun on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center replacement laboratory in La Jolla.
The $102 million project is funded primarily by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Designed by Gould Evans in association with Architects | Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker of San Diego and Gibbens Drake Scott, Inc. of Raytown, Mo., the new building will replace the existing NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center and will house 283 staff members in laboratory and office spaces. Construction is expected to be completed in 2011. The project is seeking LEED gold certification.
The new building will incorporate a large sea- and fresh-water Ocean Technology Development Tank which will expand NOAA’s ability to develop and apply advanced technologies for surveys of fisheries resources and their associated ecosystems.
The San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects recognized the unbuilt NOAA La Jolla Laboratory Replacement project with one of four honor awards last year.
Gibbens Drake Scott is the prime contract holder with NOAA and responsible for mechanical, plumbing and electrical system design for this project. Gould Evans serves as architect of record, while Architect | Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker serves as associate architect. Additional consultants include TranSystems Corporation and Jeffrey L. Bruce & Company of Kansas City and HDR Architecture, MWH Americas, RBF Consulting and Wimmer Yamada & Caughey of San Diego.
