Stanford trustees approve concept and site for Bass Biology Research Building

By Kathleen J. Sullivan

Among the projects approved by the trustees is a renovation for Roble Gym, which houses dance classes, workshops, rehearsals and performances.

The Stanford University Board of Trustees recently approved several capital projects, including concept and site approval for the new Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Biology Research Building, and construction approval for the renovation of Roble Gymnasium.

Steven A. Denning, chair of the Board of Trustees, said those were two of eight capital projects trustees approved at their June 11-12 meeting.

The Bass Biology Research Building, which will be located across Campus Drive West from the James H. Clark Center, will support the work of faculty members, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars engaged in biochemistry and computational research projects. The building will accommodate about half of the Biology Department's faculty, students and staff.

The $107 million building is a key component along with the new Science Teaching and Learning Center of Stanford's long-range vision to create a biology/chemistry district.

Stanford will relocate several faculty research programs into the Bass Biology Research Building, primarily from Herrin Laboratories. The new building will have four stories above ground and one below, which will become the home of the Stanford University Mass Spectroscopy shared instrumentation space.

Inside the new building, faculty with distinct but related programs will have space where their groups can interact, offering the opportunity for synergistic educational and research experiences for graduate students.

The project is expected to return to the board for design approval in October and for construction approval in February 2015.

Trustees approved plans to renovate Roble Gym, which was built in 1931 as a women's gym. Currently, Roble Gym houses dance studios, acting studios and rehearsal spaces that are managed by the Department of Theater & Performance Studies. Dance classes, workshops, rehearsals and performances are held in the "Big Dance Studio," which has a hardwood floor and a balcony.

Go here to read the rest:
Stanford trustees approve concept and site for Bass Biology Research Building