Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at FAU
Marine Science Laboratory II Building
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at FAU Marine Science Laboratory Building is a $19.3 million, 42,000 square foot LEED Gold Building with state-of-the-art laboratories. 2GHO is responsible for the site design which created a new plaza area to act as a centralized hub on campus along with the open grassy lawn for more casual gathering. The facility is designed with a native plant palette that echoes the rich character of the existing environment along a large canal not far from the Intracoastal Waterway. Swirling lines and curves defines the hardscape using a mixture of concrete pavers and poured colored concrete pavement and retaining walls. The flowing lines layer over into the design of the landscape beds. The water sources for irrigation were a major constraint for the project as domestic not available and no new wells allowed small existing wells had to be utilized with worry about pressure and salt intrusion. The landscape material was chosen to be simple and have a low demand of water once established in conjunction with the state-of-the-art irrigation system strategy focusing on water saving devises and techniques from drip irrigation, nozzle selection to an internet based evapotranspiration manager.