Creating the Centerpiece of a Research Community
Wexford Science + Technology, One uCity Square
Laboratories and Research
Designed to be a home to researchers making advances in the life sciences, One uCity Square aspires to host the next world-changing discovery.
One uCity Square is the landmark building of a rapidly growing research community. uCity, the larger mixed-use neighborhood developed by Wexford, is located between Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and provides an intersection between research, development, and industry.
The building features a wide floor plate to accommodate fluid workspace as well as the rigorous demands of research environments. Flexibility can be found throughout, allowing tenants to occupy a single floor—or many. This adaptable design makes the building well-suited for everything from startups and biotechnology companies to university researchers. Its openness fosters natural meetings to make collaboration between those researchers and professionals simpler, and the possibility of impactful innovations greater.
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Square Feet
389,000
Completion date
2022
Project Component
Architecture Services
Interior Design
Laboratory Planning
Master Planning
Certifications
LEED Silver
"One uCity stands as the most cutting-edge purpose-built laboratory facility available in the market."
John Grady, Senior Vice President, Wexford Science + Technology
Fulfilling a Decades-Long Master Plan
ZGF also developed the uCity Square master plan, including the massing, programming, and conceptual design for commercial, office, and laboratory spaces in the innovation district. ZGF designed several completed buildings inside the master plan, including 3675 Market Street, 3711 Market Street, and 3737 Market Street (Penn Medicine University City). Included in the master plan is a planning strategy that proposes building setbacks to enhance the pedestrian experience and to strengthen visual connections into the heart of and at the edge of the district.
To bring researchers together, ZGF carved terraces out of the southeastern corner and attached them to social amenities to provide unique gathering spaces. The balconies gesture to the adjacent plaza and reveal the high-profile activities of researchers to the public.
Inviting Community
A signature feature of Wexford's lobby design guidelines, developed in collaboration with ZGF, is their openness to both the public and building tenants. As with the rest of the building, the ground floor is built for flexibility. Street-level vibrancy is supported all day by retail that wraps around the ground floor, attracting passersby from Market Street. Retail tenants joining the first floor can directly integrate with the public lobby.
The lobby’s welcoming material palette of warm woods, brick, copper, and greenery nods to Philadelphia’s history and encourages people to linger.
To create a lobby that serves as more than just a pass-through, ZGF designed several distinct spaces for focused work, group meetings, and communal gatherings.
Over the next decade, uCity Square is planned to grow to include an additional 4,000,000 SF of laboratory, office, retail, residential, and shared public space—bringing the innovation district to a total of 6,500,000 SF spanning 11 city blocks.
Science Center / Wexford Science + Technology, 3675 Market Street
Wexford Science + Technology / University of Pittsburgh, The Assembly
Mercat del Peix Research Center
Oregon State University, Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex
