Lab of the year winners

Ennead Architects’ Sarafan ChEM-H and Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University have been named as winners of the 2023 SEFA Lab of the year Award. The award was announced at the not-for-profit organisation’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, following presentations of what it described as an example of “stunning lab projects”. The winning project was jointly presented by Stephen Chu and Don Weinreich of Ennead Architects, a firm long-renouned as a leader in the design world for its innovative cultural, educational, scientific, commercial, and civic buildings.

From biomedical research to engineering and commercial life sciences, they have a diverse portfolio of laboratory buildings for teaching, research and innovation that respond institutional missions and optimize the quality of working environments so “scientific discovery can thrive”.

The award is given annually, conveyed to a term of professionals for creating an outstanding laboratory building or complex of buildings. It is said to express the highest honour that can be given to a laboratory building, bringing enormous pride to those having participated in such an effort.

In announcing the winner, SEFA said in a statement that this recognition “is not just for the design team members, but for all of those that worked in the project, starting with the client representatives and design team, but also including the material vendors and contractors”.

At the same time SmithGroup’s Kornberg Centre, Promega Corporation was named winner of the 2023 High Honours Award for Sustainability. That project was by Diane Kase and Jason Smith of SmithGroup and Nat Stein and Steve Wellenstein of Ramlow/Stein Architects and Interiors. Since 1853, SmithGroup has embraced opportunities to work alongside clients and partners who like to push boundaries and pursue what has been described as bold “what if” dreams – whether that means creating areas for healing patients, advancing research, creating inspiring learning environments or protecting resources.