General Services Administration
US Food and Drug Administration Engineering & Physics Lab
White Oak, MD
135,000 SF
The fourth building on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) White Oak campus, the 1350,000 SF Engineering and Physics Laboratory, is designed to consolidate the engineering and physics research components of FDA into a single, state-of-the-art research building, creating efficiencies and a synergy missing from their current aged and dispersed facilities. The design evolved through a collaborative process with FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health Program scientists and the Director of Research with the goal of maximizing opportunities for interaction between scientists. This laboratory was a departure from previous templates; it was designed for the specific technologies being used by the scientists in the building. The laboratories are placed along the exterior walls to maximize the natural daylight, and flexible work-stations are located within the laboratories and along perimeter circulation zones to accommodate various types of researchers, including students and interns. This six-level building will occupy a highly visible location in the White Oak campus, forming a quadrangle with related office and lab building, and providing a strong, identifiable image for the FDA. This project is registered with the US Green Building Council and meets all Silver level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design criteria.