The constant inflationary pressure on building costs has almost taken the option of a new, conventional science building away from many private colleges and universities. This article describes an extraordinary university science facility that was built for approximately 70% of the capital costs of a conventional science building. The building serves seven disciplines on a regular basis: biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering science, mathematics, physics, and experimental psychology. Seattle Pacific University has an undergraduate enrollment of 2400. There are approximately 350 students that have declared a major in one of the sciences.The most unusual aspect of the building is a single, large laboratory (240 ft X 55 ft) which has taken the place of the many highly specific laboratories usually found in more traditional buildings (see the figure). The surrounding service areas occupy an additional 17,000 sq ft. This laboratory accounted for a large portion of the savings in the initial building costs by eliminating duplication, and it continues to contribute to savings by requiring less in the way of equipment and supplies than comparable conventional laboratories.
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