UCSC Announces Architect Shortlist for Art/Science Institute

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The University of California Santa Cruz is developing a state-of-the-art institute described as part museum, part teaching and research facility, and part performance space. The soon to be constructed Institute of the Arts and Sciences will offer exhibits on everything from climate change to contemporary art, and is projected to cost $32-40 million.

The planned facility will include meeting spaces, study areas, a café and a beautiful view of the Monterrey Bay. It is also intended to eventually host research residencies, and offer students a chance to participate in research, curatorial, internship and volunteer opportunities. John Weber, who was first hired to develop the institute in 2012, has called the future institute an “intellectual hub” with a vision to engage current issues through the arts, sciences, humanities and technology based on UC Santa Cruz research. "It will highlight exciting work that is going on across campus, much of it behind closed doors," Weber said.

According to a release issued by the university, the new facility will also reflect the school’s roots as an innovative education experiment meant to blur the lines between disciplines to beautiful effect. "This speaks to UCSC’s institutional history," said UC Santa Cruz Arts Dean David Yager. "A lot of times we talk about the classroom experience and research, but it is equally important to engage students across the university in creative and innovative ways. The institute is about the transformative student experience."

In an interview with The Arts, a UCSC publication, Weber commented that the planning and development committee is committed to making this building “a space that will exist in harmony with the natural world,” especially as the location is near both forest and meadows, and is sometimes visited by local wildlife. Both Yager and Weber added that the university, with a small faculty group selected to assist with planning, is looking for “an architectural gem that is sensitive to the site, the light and functionality.”

In early January 2013 the university issued a Request for Qualifications seeking an executive architect to design the permanent facility. The RFQ was also sent to 75 select architects and firms “to insure what we find the right designer for the project,” Weber added.

Currently a shortlist of contractors has been selected for the project, including Steven Holl Architects with TannerHecht Architecture, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects with TEF, wHY design, Allied Works Architecture, Aidlin Darling Design, Jensen Architects with Ann Hamilton and Fong & Chan Architects with Paktau Architects. These firms were culled from a pool of 39 companies, and three will be selected as finalists by April.

A public presentation highlighting the three finalists will take place on April 3. The construction timeline and completion date are dependent on further fundraising.