Trudeau

The Trudeau Institute is a private laboratory specializing in the research of infectious diseases and immunology founded in 1964. Located on Saranac Lake, the Institute is within the historic Adirondack Park of upstate New York. The central laboratory was built between 1965 and 1969 to house research laboratories, animal facilities, scientists' offices, administrative offices, and central meeting rooms. The character of the building was designed to express its function and to convey a sense of the national and international level of research being conducted within. While the Trudeau Institute is sited to provide spectacular views of the lake and the Adrondack Mountains, the building's dominant character is indifferent to the surrounding nature and spirit of its setting.

The new addition doubles the size of the institution. The character of the building continues to express the Institute's international level of research and staffing while adding a whisper of the local environment. The form of the building bends softly to the shape of the existing hill and extends into a preserved grove of trees. Unlike the original, which provided views only for the offices, this serpentine shape allows both the offices and laboratories to overlook the lake. The original fenestration and detailing is continued in a more relaxed way while the window colors have been changed to a bronze, the color of tree trunks. (The raw aluminum windows in the original building will be changed to the darker color.)

The project is designed to be an extension of the existing building, creating a cohesive environment and not isolating new staff. A hinge is created, in plan and elevation, between the new addition and the original building. Built of concrete this hinge becomes the 'back door,' designed to be a relaxed version of the existing main entry. This hinge also accommodates changes in floor levels and surrounds meeting rooms, drawing the entire staff to the center of the building. The open stair, meandering around the hinge, provides nooks and crannies to accommodate chance meetings and to foster interaction. The cap of the hinge has a dramatic, rock-like, overhang that creates an outdoor porch overlooking Saranac Lake and the Adirondack Mountain Park.