Biomedical Development Corporation

San Antonio, Texas

Sited on a visible corner in a transforming neighborhood within walking distance of the Pearl District and on the path of a monthly art walk, the Biomedical Development Corporation facility is a full-scale adaptive re-use project. The design speaks to both art and science, a combination that describes the daily work of the company. Layered systems and materials that comprise the façade delineate various programmatic functions housed within the structure. The gridded paneling of the laboratory zone is interrupted by a playful arrangement of openings, awnings, and scrims insinuating a systematic process infused with experimentation and variation. A large swath of clerestory windows, the most transparent portion of the façade, hints at the central gathering and meeting space where ideas are shared. And the exposed and highlighted structural beam acknowledges the manufacturing and warehousing that also occurs within the facility. In this manner the design weaves together visual cues to tell a story about the operations of the corporation from product development to production.