The new building is inscribed in the existing rectangular grid of streets, allowing for its size only one or two large buildings in each block. This practically deprived the architect of the opportunity to create a dynamic composition associated with neighboring buildings and, in general, with the campus ensemble. The second problem was the mostly fill soil of the Mission Bay area, where the university campus is located: this forced the first floor of the building to be made technical, since it was dangerous to use the basement for this purpose. As a result, the lower tier of the Center is made almost completely monolithic, cut off from the street space. The other four floors are more open, but relatively: since laboratories are located there, they must be closed from the outside world for optimal working conditions. Vignoli partially solved the problem of the "inaccessibility" of the building, using several different materials for the decoration of the facades and alternating them with each other. Travertine and frosted glass are applied along with steel panels, clear glass and also steel sun screens.
Inside, the situation is exactly the opposite: the atrium filled with light is placed between two functional zones, in the form of Latin Ls: one is occupied by laboratories, the other by administrative premises. Light enters this space from above and from the side - through the open terraces on the three upper floors. The laboratories are separated by lightweight partitions, which can be easily moved to a new location if necessary. They are illuminated through two glazing strips - at the traditional distance from the floor and at the ceiling. The light intensity and room temperature can be adjusted using external screens, and a special steel ledge and ceiling profile reflect the sun's rays deep into the room.
