Designing a laboratory modernization that honors a building’s past while powering the future.

University of Pennsylvania Richards Medical Research Laboratories

A breakthrough design by Louis Kahn and one of the most important buildings of the second half of the 20th century, the Richards Medical Research Laboratories is a designated National Historic Landmark. The series of laboratory towers anchored by a central service tower set a new standard for research facility design.

Despite its architectural significance, functional shortcomings had frustrated users for decades. The University of Pennsylvania reached out to our team to design a modernization that respected Kahn’s plan and spatial design while transforming the laboratories to meet contemporary technical demands.

Our approach balanced preservation with performance to improve both functionality and energy efficiency. We also developed design and preservation guidelines to direct our work as well as any future phases of construction.

A character-defining element of the building is the monumental corner windows accented by smaller transoms, placed in custom-fabricated stainless-steel frames. Over time, concrete structural movement and expansion of the abutting brick caused window frame distortion, leading to significant air and water infiltration. As the glazing comprises a large percentage of the building envelope surface, addressing the glazing system failure became a critical rehabilitation component.

We conducted extensive research and testing—examining the existing system's performance and proposed replacement options—to adhere to Kahn’s intended architectural vision. Our team ultimately selected a high-performance laminated glass option as it provided significantly improved thermal performance and required minimal modifications to the window frames. The selected window coating addressed light control issues while being virtually identical to the color rendition of the original glass.

A primary driver of this project was repurposing the interior from its ill-suited wet biomedical research labs function to more appropriate dry labs for computationally driven cognitive neuroscience research. This change resolved ongoing issues related to requirements for modern wet-bench medical science research and facilitated a more sympathetic return to Kahn’s original open floorplate vision.

The result is a research environment that honors its past while powering the future.