Edward A. Doisy Research Center at Saint Louis University

The center enables scientists at Saint Louis University to further research discoveries in the areas of cancer, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, aging and brain disease, and vaccine development.

Clayco served as the design-builder for the 206,000-square-foot Edward A. Doisy Research Center at Saint Louis University. The center enables scientists at Saint Louis University to further research discoveries in the areas of cancer, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, aging and brain disease, and vaccine development. It also enables Saint Louis University to attract and retain the brightest and most promising faculty. When built, the research center became the largest building on the Saint Louis University campus and has been referred to as the most significant building project in Saint Louis University’s history.

The research center is situated on a 9-acre site with elaborate landscaping featuring a stream, Zen garden and fountain. The project’s contemporary design includes exterior steel, brick and 48,000-square-feet of glass that allows natural light to flood the interior. The project marked the University’s most ambitious effort to integrate environmental awareness and initiatives into a new facility. Among the building’s numerous sustainable elements are a green roof, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, recycled steel, concrete and floor finishes, materials from rapidly renewable sources such as bamboo and cork, as well as recycling 79 percent of all construction waste. The design-build project was completed in just 522 working days.

The research center includes 80 labs spanning eight floors, which have a flexible, open design so researchers from complementary fields can share knowledge as they conduct experiments. The building also includes a 10-story tower with its first two floors extending south, connecting via a covered walkway to the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. The building forms the eastern anchor of CORTEX – the Center of Research, Technology and Entrepreneurial Expertise – an initiative to develop a nationally recognized life sciences industry in the corridor between Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis.

CLIENT

Saint Louis University

LOCATION

St. Louis, Missouri

SIZE

206,000 SF

KEY FACTS

  • Architect: Cannon Design

AWARDS

St. Louis Construction News and Real Estate – 2008 Architectural Statement– 2016

Concrete Council – 2008 Quality Concrete Awards

Tilt-Up Association – 2007 Tilt-Up Achievement Awards, Excellence Award Special Projects Division

LEED NC V2.1 Certified designation

INTEGRATED BY DESIGN