Stanford University, Bass Biology Building

The Bass Biology Building is a collaborative research facility that supports the department’s initiatives to continue cutting edge biology research and refresh the Biology Department’s campus identity. The building comprises the western edge of the forthcoming science quad, located at the heart of the Biology, Chemistry, and Computer Science precinct on Stanford’s campus. The building has an axial relationship with the Old Chemistry building and extends a pathway—known as Discovery Walk—from the School of Medicine, encouraging interaction within and across departmental boundaries.

A shaded plaza, where a suite of variably-scaled meeting rooms at grade level doubles as a small conference center, receives the quad on the western side of the future precinct. Activity spills out onto the plaza, incorporating the temperate climate of Northern California into this flexible space for work and play. The plaza extends to meet a preserved growth of old oak trees, integrating the history of Stanford into this new landscape. The plaza is shaded by a painted aluminum canopy that reflects the terracotta roofing of the surrounding campus buildings.

The building is sited around existing pedestrian pathways and vehicular access routes, providing additional circulation for the campus. A glass bridge connects the North and South wings of the building and doubles as a space for casual meetings between student and faculty researchers. Below the bridge, Discovery Walk links the burgeoning science quadrangle with the School of Medicine.

The building is comprised of wet labs for hands-on research and computational (dry) labs, bridged by hybrid research spaces combining both lab types. Research space is designed in flexible modules that support interdepartmental engagement and efficient space allocation, driving research synergies.