Weaving site, landscape, and circulation into the natural ecology and campus infrastructure, the facility offers outdoor spaces that spark social interaction, host events, and anchor the Wellness Walk terminus — serving as a welcoming gateway to the Medical Sciences Quad for the entire UC Irvine community.
Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building
University of California, Irvine
Location
Irvine, California
Owner
University of California, Irvine
Design-Build Contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co.
Laboratory Planning: Research Facilities Design
Structural Engineering: Saiful Bouquet
MEP Engineering: Alvine Engineering
Civil Engineering: FPL and Associates
Landscape Architecture: SPURLOCK
Project Size
215,220 square feet
Project Status
Completed
Certifications
Targeting LEED New Construction Platinum
Delivery Method
Design-Build
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Planning
At UC Irvine, the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building is where groundbreaking science happens. Designed for discovery, the building brings researchers together through three interconnected zones: a Personal Investigation Hub with offices, social spaces, and a rooftop terrace; a Laboratory Bar outfitted for safe, adaptable, high-performance research; and a Collaboration Seam that links them both, sparking the kind of cross-disciplinary exchange that drives real breakthroughs.
The facade balances transparency and privacy, pairing glass curtain walls with sculptural precast panels to flood workspaces with daylight while framing sweeping campus views. Outside, thoughtfully designed gathering spaces anchor the Wellness Walk and open onto the Medical Sciences Quad, creating a welcoming hub for the entire UC Irvine community.
Functional, flexible, and deeply connected to its campus, this building is more than a research facility. It is a catalyst for the future of healthcare.
Photography: Bruce Damonte
