A world-class facility fosters collaboration among scientists and engineers from all over the world.

Occupying a central position on the campus, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Discovery Hall is designed to be the first stop, and thus the first impression, for all visitors.

This project was defined by budget constraints and high campus standards, specifically for building performance and energy usage. PNNL and the US Department of Energy required that the project meet the federal government’s Whole Building Design Guide. This involved intense scrutiny of the building’s mechanical systems by a large number of engineers and scientists from the owners’ team. The primary gathering space, a large glass concourse, faces north which reduces solar heat gain while still providing generous natural light, and overlooks a landscaped courtyard, creating a fourth side of the exterior quad. A café, designed for both the daily use of the PNNL campus and special events, creates indoor and outdoor seating options for conference attendees and on-site scientists alike.

Arranged with flexibility in mind, the facility holds a number of small huddle rooms in addition to the larger collaboration rooms. The large rooms are able to accommodate from 250-450 individuals and feature state-of-the-art AV systems. This entire facility can easily be adjusted for a myriad of uses and configurations, including large meetings, workshops, training exercises, and science-focused events.