The 120,000-square-foot building was dedicated in November 2004, and consists of research labs, offices, support space, meeting space and a four-story atrium. It includes a 3,700 square-foot clean room that provides a filtered-air environment, a large-scale visualization lab, a network lab, and labs for optical devices, nanotechnology and media arts.

The building is considered a living lab, containing open research space that can be reconfigured easily to accommodate evolving research projects.

The structure is equipped throughout with high-speed wireless Internet access, UCI’s first Voice-over-IP phone system and customized ad hoc in-house networks. It also includes high-capacity access to statewide and nationwide high-speed fiber optic networks, as well as the ability to handle future internal fiber optic networks.

In collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey, researchers have equipped the building with more than 40 seismic sensors that can measure ground motion and building motion with the same system.

The building was designed by Johnson Fain Partners and constructed by PCL Construction Services; Leo A. Daly served as executive architect.