Project

Skin of Color Research Institute

Client

Hampton University

Project Team

PF&A DESIGN and PACE Collaborative, P.C.

Construction Cost

$350,000.00

Area

2,706 SF

Completion Date

May 2010

Hampton University needed to develop a new research facility for the Skin of Color Institute. Skin is the essential element of dermatology and the subject of the research that will occur in the labs. The skin model seemed like a logical starting point for formulating a concept. PF&A used the model of skin and its system of layers as a generator for design. The skin model works well architecturally in that it is a series of layers that each have their own function but work together as a system; much like the architectural elements of a building. Understanding the skin layers and their relationships to one another afforded us the opportunity to explore how materials and their levels of transparency might be arranged to achieve a high-tech design look in the labs.