I told you previously about our upcoming Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology and how it will position us at the forefront of cutting-edge medicine. Now we've gotten our first look at what the building could look like and how it will fit into our Fontaine Research Park.
The new rendering you see above was presented to UVA's Board of Visitors this week as part of a collection of proposed schematics of the building and its environs.
The spacious new facility will be four stories and 350,000 square feet. It's set to include lab space, advanced research facilities and a collaboration area for researchers and partnering biotech companies. There will also be a café and conference center to encourage collaboration among researchers within the park and across UVA.
“The biotech institute is approximately three times the size of the majority of other buildings at Fontaine, yet the design approach of the L-shaped plan enabled the building to be a floor shorter and better situated in the surrounding context,” University Architect Alice Raucher told the board. “It is the first building of the master plan, with the newer, taller buildings on the perimeter of the park ringing the lower buildings at the center.”
The institute has been made possible in large part by a $100 million donation from philanthropists Paul and Diane Manning. Paul Manning is the chairman and chief executive officer of PBM Capital, a healthcare-focused investment firm.
In addition to the Mannings' generous donation, critical funding has also come from the state and UVA.
I'll keep you posted as plans move ahead!