The first phase of Third Wave's facility involved a 27,000-s.f. research and development facility at University Research Park. Third Wave develops and manufactures life science and diagnostic products. A fast-track, multiple-bid package with the contractor enabled the building to be designed, constructed, and ready for occupancy in just over nine months.

Office, laboratory, and manufacturing areas were designed as three distinct, 8,500-s.f. blocks stepped with respect to each other. This design allowed Third Wave to expand any one of the three operational components of the business independently of the others. To accommodate Third Wave's constantly changing operations, modular lab benching and equipment were incorporated to enhance flexibility. The interior layout balances individual rooms with open space planning, and separates clean versus contaminated areas. Highly specialized rooms include a micro lab, instrument room, and bio-safety lab-level 3 to support mutation detection, genetic identification, thermostable nucleases, and nucleic acid detection. Other components include a computer lab and training area.

The second phase involved 64,784-s.f. addition to accommodate Third Wave's growing. The addition includes three Class 10,000 clean rooms; synthesis and chemistry laboratories; offices; research and development space; and shipping/receiving. A future three-story addition will accommodate increased production requirements and future scientific processes.

Project Components

• New 1-story, 27,000-sf. research and development (R&D) facility
• Office, R&D and manufacturing areas are housed in three 8,500-sf. offset building masses
• Highly specialized rooms include a micro lab, instrument rooms, and level 3 bio-safety lab

Program - Established as a R&D start-up firm in 1993, Third Wave develops and manufactures products for the life science and diagnostic markets, with a focus on innovative tools for DNA-based research, diagnostics, and therapeutic monitoring. Previously housed in a small laboratory in Madison, Third Wave was driven to relocate and expand when development and manufacturing demands dramatically increased and employees grew from 7 in 1993 to 46 in 1997.

As a start-up firm, Third Wave strives to reinvest profits into manufacturing its product, rather than into capital expenditures. Therefore, the firm's project budget was very limited. Since the company anticipated doubling - and possibly even tripling - its personnel within the next five years, the building was required to be flexible and easily expandable in phases as business grows.

A significant design challenge was the fact that Third Wave would lease the new building from University Research Park (URP). Subsequently, the facility not only had to respond to Third Wave's technical, space, and budget requirements, but also needed to be adaptable to accommodate URP's future tenants and their operations. The structure had to possess the appropriate "curb appeal" and image of a high-tech facility, and be delivered within an extremely tight schedule.

Site Description, including any Significant Physical Parameters - The undulating, park-like setting of Third Wave's site is reinforced by the placement of all of the parking in the rear of the building, screening it from the street. The facility's site placement allows for future expansion into a campus of thematically consistent buildings to enhance the outdoor environment while maintaining their own individuality.

Factual Statement of Design Solution - In response to Third Wave's program requirements, the architect designed the office, R&D, and manufacturing areas as three distinct, 8,500-sf. blocks which are stepped with respect to each other. This design provides the ability to expand any one of the three operational components of the business independently of the others. To accommodate Third Wave's very dynamic and constantly changing operations, the architect incorporated modular lab benching and equipment to enhance the flexibility of the space. The interior layout balances individual rooms with open space planning, while maintaining a clear separation of the clean versus contaminated areas. Highly specialized rooms include a micro lab, instrument room, and bio-safety lab-level 3 to support mutation detection, genetic identification, thermostable nucleases, and nucleic acid detection. The bio-safety lab's building material was carefully selected to meet rigorous cleaning demands over an extended period of time.

Third Wave's company name and logo were used as a basis for thematic consistency throughout the entire design of this imaginative, yet functional, structure. The "Third Wave" theme is reflected in the stepped tripartite massing of the building, juxtaposed with the wave-like forms of the landscape berms. The double helix theme of the corporate logo is reflected in the tile patterns throughout the building.

The design simultaneously responds to URP's program requirements. The modularity of the floor plan and materials enables the building to support the operations of future tenants easily and efficiently. An exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) was selected due to budgetary constraints. The EIFS and window mullions were detailed and composed to create a rhythm that captures the dynamic nature of the high-tech industry. The building's design is consistent both on the interior and exterior. The main entry feature consists of a vertical plane that intersects the curve of the entrance canopy. This plane is carried through into the lobby in the carpet pattern, a ceiling bulkhead, and the reception desk. A fast-track, multiple-bid package with the contractor enabled the building to be designed, constructed, and ready for occupancy in just over nine months.

This functional, economical, and imaginative building simultaneously achieves the programmatic requirements of both its owner and tenant. Its flexible and expandable space meets Third Wave's current and future needs for its rapidly growing R&D and manufacturing business, yet is standard enough to accommodate the operations of URP's future tenants. Today, the Third Wave facility is being used as a benchmark for similar R&D start-up firms whose objective is to reinvest money into product development and manufacturing processes, rather than capital expenditures, while providing a distinctive corporate image and flexible laboratory layout.