The Washington State University (WSU) Wine Science Center is a $23 million, 40,000 square foot research and education facility that includes classrooms, laboratories, a two story research winery, and a library for special Washington Wines. The WSC will house WSU’s Viticulture and Enology program.
The Issues: WSU wanted the Wine Science Center to be an iconic architectural milestone marking the gateway to the WSU campus from the adjacent Tri-Cities Research District utilizing the design-build team approach. To do so, the facility had to be squeezed onto the side of a narrow, steeply sloping lot between the adjacent streets and an existing large diameter sewer main traversing the site. They also had to meet Basis of Design and code requirements for ADA and vehicular access, parking for students and staff, fire truck and delivery truck access and maneuvering, drainage, and sustainability.
How did we address the issues: J-U-B Engineers worked diligently with the rest of the design team, general contractor, and the owner’s representatives to develop and communicate solutions that overcame site constraints while meeting their design, budget, construction, and operations criteria.
The Results and Benefits: The WSU Wine Science Center is a world class facility intended to help triple the economic contribution of Washington State’s wine industry from $9 billion to $27 billion annually over the next twenty years.
What makes this project unique and memorable? The wine industry partnered with the university and local governments to program, fund, and administer this incredible project. The design-build team then facilitated this process to turn the dream into the reality of a world class facility.
“The Wine Science Center will allow WSU Tri-Cities to do for the state’s wineries and vineyards what the University of California, Davis, has done for California’s wine industry.”
Ted Baselar, President and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
“The Center allows the Tri-Cities to stake a claim in the wine industry and grow with that industry. A research university is at the center of every major wine region. We are a major wine region internationally.” Gary Ballew, Executive Director for the Wine Science Center Development Authority