University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Joan and Sanford I. Weill Neurosciences Building

San Francisco, CA
Case Study Banners 062
Project Keywords: Construction phase review, Curtain Wall, Enclosure consulting, Facade, Facade engineering, Facade peer review, Field Review, Healthcare, Higher-ed, Life sciences, Mock-up, Mockup review, Peer review, San Francisco, Shop Drawing Review
  • Size 282,000-sf
  • Completion 2021
  • Services Provided Building Enclosure Consulting, Facade Engineering
  • Market Sector Healthcare, Life Sciences, Higher-ed
  • Architect SmithGroup
  • Owner University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
  • General Contractor DPR Construction (RDH Client)
  • Photographer Tim Griffith
  • Awards SEFA Lab of the Year (2022)
A 6-story, 282,000-sf translational neurosciences facility on the UCSF Mission Bay campus, integrating clinical psychiatry, diagnostics, and neuroscience research under one roof. The building includes wet and dry research labs, behavioral testing spaces, a psychiatry infusion suite, a clinical research lab, flexible shared clinic floors, and a centralized neuroscience diagnostic hub. The facade features a high-performance glass and aluminum-blade shade screen system fabricated and installed by Walters & Wolf.
RDH was engaged by general contractor DPR Construction to provide independent peer review of the facade fabricator’s shop drawings and architectural enclosure details during the construction phase, as well as mockup review and field review support. With a $447M total construction cost and a technically complex curtain wall facade, maintaining enclosure quality was a critical priority for the project team.
DPR Construction engaged RDH during the construction phase to provide an independent review of the facade fabricator’s shop drawings and the architectural enclosure details. RDH’s scope included reviewing Walters & Wolf’s shop drawings for technical accuracy and coordination with the architectural design intent, conducting mockup review, and providing field review during construction. RDH’s technical input supported DPR’s decision-making on enclosure execution throughout construction.
The curtain wall system presented coordination complexity typical of high-performance institutional facades: detailed aluminum-blade shading components, glass performance requirements, and a late-stage engagement timeline. RDH assessed the fabricator’s shop drawings against architectural intent and identified coordination and performance gaps before they reached the field.
This project reflects RDH’s experience working within established project teams at late design or construction stages, providing targeted technical input on complex institutional facades where fabrication quality and on-site execution carry significant consequences.
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