The Neurosciences Institute is a theoretical and clinical research campus for the study of the brain. The program is comprised of a theory center, laboratories, and an auditorium. The 3 buildings are arranged to form a central plaza that unifies the entire project. Cutting into the sloping site, the buildings maintain low profiles and a strong connection with the land. As a result of this partially buried condition, the landscape and the buildings form a quiet courtyard. The open yet sheltered space encourages interdisciplinary interaction. Institute visitors are greeted at the Theory Center, which wraps the plaza on the north side. The largest of the three buildings, the three-story Theory Center houses a library, reading room, refectory, conference rooms, administration offices, fellows` offices, and computer rooms. A 352-seat auditorium sits in the center of the plaza. Serving as a gathering place for the scientific community and the larger public, the auditorium accommodates both scientific lectures and unamplified chamber music. Enveloped in an origami-like folded plaster wall, the interior allows for the maximum dispersion of unamplified sound. State-of the art mechanical systems are acoustically isolated, resulting in a virtually noise free environment. The space is frequently used for musical concerts by outside groups. Single-storey laboratories form the wall of the south side of the plaza. A continuous etched glass window faces the plaza. Light enters while privacy is maintained. Offices are arranged behind the glass. The wet heavy labs, located behind the office and below grade, flank either side of a corridor. Entrances and meeting spaces are strategically placed where the laboratory building bends.
