Stanford University Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge

Stanford, CA

In a pair of articles in Science, Jon Cohen asks and states:

• “Does the architecture of a laboratory influence a scientist’s creativity and productivity?”
• “There are a number of examples of laboratories and/or laboratory designers that are deemed to be successful from an architectural or aesthetic point of view.”

One of the buildings that answered that question and met that criteria according to Cohen is the Stanford University Center for Clinical Sciences Research (CCSR).

The site work, designed by Peter Walker and Partners, integrated their modernistic style and ability to forward new ideas into a shaded courtyard framed by two symmetrical wings. The courtyards provide a comfortable environment for social interaction and became both the social heart of the building and a popular route through the campus. It was in this route and walkway that EPD installed the very first narrow modular pavers. Peter Walker tasked Stepstone, Inc. (precast concrete paver manufacturer) to create the original mold to manufacture this linear paver for the sole purpose of this project.

The job was highly visible and time-critical. EPD facilitated both day and night shifts in order to achieve completion prior to the facility’s opening. The degree of difficulty and challenges were multiple: first time installation; new molds not yet field-proven; “wet-cast” product; linear and manufacturing tolerances; complicated and new patterns; and an incredibly tight time frame. EPD was later requested to perform restoration work to damaged areas after neighboring construction on an adjacent building damaged the completed work. The area was restored to exact specification.