8/3/2019 Richards Medical Research Laboratory Renovations | Atkin Olshin Schade Architects | Archinect

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Evan Geisler Richards Medical Research Laboratory Renovations
Shawn Evans
Nestor Kurtz 2

The University of Pennsylvania’s Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratory is an

important building by Louis I. Kahn, one of the greatest architects of the 20th century. The site
includes three original laboratory towers and a central service tower. Two additional towers, the
Goddard Laboratories, complete the complex. Atkin Olshin Schade Architects recently
completed a project for medical research space on six floors in the Richards building and one
in Goddard.

The design of Richards, while groundbreaking, never fully served the original laboratory
program to its best advantage. The University has embarked on an ambitious restoration and
renovation project for the buildings that includes replacing the exterior glazing and
mechanical/electrical systems, and establishes design and preservation standards for interior
renovations. Key to the success of this new program is the removal of wet labs from the
buildings and replacing them with other medical research uses that require less plumbing and
fewer air changes. The renovations have significantly reduced energy usage in the buildings.

Part of our work involved tailoring research spaces for five unique users in Towers C and D;
each with specific spatial needs and technology requirements. We adapted the spaces to meet
the needs of individual user groups while following the preservation guidelines established by
 Submit
EYP. The original concrete truss construction is fully exposed and all new mechanical and
electrical systems were carefully integrated to respect Kahn’s original design intent.
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8/3/2019 Richards Medical Research Laboratory Renovations | Atkin Olshin Schade Architects | Archinect

Status: Built
Location: Philadelphia, PA, US
Additional Credits: Bruce E. Brooks & Associates, MEP Engineer
Keast & Hood Company, Structural Engineer

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