Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation research tower to be Earth-friendly
BY SUSAN SIMPSON
Published: March 27, 2009

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation will unveil plans today for a $125 million research tower combining high technology with low energy.

http://photos.newsok.com/2/showimage/553356/medium
An artist’s drawing shows a building planned by Oklahoma Medical Research Center. Rendering provided

The 185,000-square-foot tower will feature 24 wind turbines designed like the double-helixes of DNA, solar panels and expanses of natural light. Together, they are expected to decrease electricity usage by up to one-third.

"This tower will be the first medical research facility anywhere to harness the wind to help power its labs,” said Dr. Stephen Prescott, president of OMRF. "It will be a model of energy efficiency and resource preservation.”

He said the design sends an important message.

"It’s a statement about being forward-looking and state-of-the-art in everything we do,” he said. "We want to show we are trying to be innovative in every part of our organization.”

The turbines have a unique design being patented by Synergy California, said Reinhold Ziegler, a partner in the company and the turbines’ designer.

The turbines — to be built into the top of the structure — are soundless and shrouded in materials that accelerate the speed of the wind to double the output. Solar panels are incorporated in the design.

From fundraising, OMRF has $51 million of the $125 million needed to build and equip the structure, and to recruit dozens of top scientists and technicians.

Construction is expected to start in several months, with an opening date of early 2011. The tower will be directly north of the foundation’s main building in the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center complex.

When it’s completed, OMRF will seek gold certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Only one other building in Oklahoma — the Gatorade building in Pryor — has the certification.

Other green features will include a rain garden on the roof to prevent runoff pollution and insulate the building. Water consumption will be reduced by recycling condensation from the air conditioning system and by using native plants in landscaping.

Design details will be unveiled tonight at OMRF’s First Ladies’ Gala at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

There is also a video if you go to the link below:

http://feeds.newsok.tv/services/player/bcpid4659235001?bctid=17760665001

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-medical-research-foundation-research-tower-to-be-earth-friendly/article/3356657?custom_click=pod_headline_technology

I'm personally glad someone is finally breaking away from the boring institutional architecture and also incorporating some green responsible architecture and features into the project. This is a BIG step for OKC.

Hopefully our stone age legislature doesn't scare away research funding with all of their nutty promulgations. This is great for the state. I hope we don't screw it up.

That is a really attractive building.

dude, this building is just too cool! the turbines, the glass, the water? all of those plus the green certification will really boost OMRF's reputations among the nation's best medical research areas. we need more projects like this help make a unique statement about this awesome state!

We could potentially have two $100+ million LEED projects going up at the same time: Gold OMRF and Silver Devon Tower. As a LEED AP I hope to see more and more green projects in OKC.

Building looks great. There are lots of tall cranes over there at the HSC. Looks splendid if you ask me. That area of town is really impressive and it keeps getting better. I like the turbines too, those are pretty sweet

I can't tell from the pics, how many floors, or equivalent of how many floors?

Hopefully our stone age legislature doesn't scare away research funding with all of their nutty promulgations. This is great for the state. I hope we don't screw it up.

I doubt that would be of any concern. Why would local legislators and the Chamber of Commerce destroy their brainchild health reaearch prjoect for OU and then scare away the research funding? I wiould be more concerned about a couple of rural SE Oklahoma lawmakers cooking up some weird crap, but I doubt it. This biomedical research park began 12 years ago. I doubt they would do anything to screw it up.

OKCPulse-You might be surprised. Here in Missouri we have had a years-long battle over stem cell research. A number of legislators have sponsored bills that would forbid state universities or any publicly funded entities to do research along those lines. The last incarnation of the argument was a bill that simply said that any publicly-funded research that is authorized by Congress would be allowed in Missouri. It only passed by the narrowest of margins because of the religious lobbies in the state. It caused the Stowers Center in Kansas City to re-think plans to build a half-billion dollar research center. They are threatening to move it to the Kansas side of that metro area because of an overall restrictive attitude in Missouri. I have long been concerned that anti-scientific attitudes in Oklahoma might one day pose a threat to the biomedical research at the health sciences center. Hope that does not come to pass in my home state.

OKCPulse-You might be surprised. Here in Missouri we have had a years-long battle over stem cell research. A number of legislators have sponsored bills that would forbid state universities or any publicly funded entities to do research along those lines. The last incarnation of the argument was a bill that simply said that any publicly-funded research that is authorized by Congress would be allowed in Missouri. It only passed by the narrowest of margins because of the religious lobbies in the state. It caused the Stowers Center in Kansas City to re-think plans to build a half-billion dollar research center. They are threatening to move it to the Kansas side of that metro area because of an overall restrictive attitude in Missouri. I have long been concerned that anti-scientific attitudes in Oklahoma might one day pose a threat to the biomedical research at the health sciences center. Hope that does not come to pass in my home state.

True. However, religious lobbies in Oklahoma haven't rallied hard against bioscience, only against evolution-only education on the public school system. There have been a few frowns upon stem-cell research, but Oklahoma legislators as a whole is taking a more prudent approach to stem-cell research.

Besides, what type of research facility is this going to be? No one necessarily said it was going to be for stem-cell research. And one more note, Oklahoma lawmakers and the C of C have always been gung-ho on medical facilities in OKC, be it treatment or research.

I doubt that would be of any concern. Why would local legislators and the Chamber of Commerce destroy their brainchild health reaearch prjoect for OU and then scare away the research funding? I wiould be more concerned about a couple of rural SE Oklahoma lawmakers cooking up some weird crap, but I doubt it. This biomedical research park began 12 years ago. I doubt they would do anything to screw it up.

There's already a bill making the rounds which would prohibit stem cell research.

There is also on that is wanting to fund $1 million dollars towards stem cell research.

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-legislature-adult-stem-cell-research-could-get-tobacco-funds/article/3352889
(http://newsok.com/oklahoma-legislature-adult-stem-cell-research-could-get-tobacco-funds/article/3352889)

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-legislature-adult-stem-cell-research-could-get-tobacco-funds/article/3352889
(http://newsok.com/oklahoma-legislature-adult-stem-cell-research-could-get-tobacco-funds/article/3352889)

How does this mesh with the House bill that passed banning stem cell research in Oklahoma?

I would guess the bill is only trying to ban embryonic stem cell research. That's what the pro-life lobby is against. They don't have a problem with use of adult stem cells.

I love the design! And LEED buildings themselves are a huge deal. I'm glad we have another in the works!

The new NW Library is to be LEED certified as well.

The new NW Library is to be LEED certified as well. Speaking of the library. I have been hearing a new NW library was going to be built for years. I left OKC almost 10 years ago and they are still talking about a new NW library? What is the hold up?

The fight in Missouri has been all about embryonic stem cells. I don't think anyone has a problem with adult stem cell research.

Ground broke on this tower last week, if you check out the front page of this week's Oklahoma Nursing Times, you can see a picture of the actual "DNA" shaped wind turbine. They had a full size 20 ft. wind turbine on site hanging by a crane.

http://www.okcnursingtimes.com/newsletter/pdfs/4936642_7003248.pdf

The LEED stuff is terrific but a $125 million construction project is big in itself, especially at this point in time.

And the OUHSC continues to grow almost exponentially. Lots and lots of high-paying jobs in that area.

I doubt that would be of any concern. Why would local legislators and the Chamber of Commerce destroy their brainchild health reaearch prjoect for OU and then scare away the research funding? I wiould be more concerned about a couple of rural SE Oklahoma lawmakers cooking up some weird crap, but I doubt it. This biomedical research park began 12 years ago. I doubt they would do anything to screw it up.

I mean no offense, seriously, but have you been paying attention to our Legislature of late?

True. However, religious lobbies in Oklahoma haven't rallied hard against bioscience, only against evolution-only education on the public school system. There have been a few frowns upon stem-cell research, but Oklahoma legislators as a whole is taking a more prudent approach to stem-cell research.

Again, are you paying attention? The legislature tried to make it a criminal offense to use stem-cell research. Why are you trying to minimize the problem? Our legislature is clearly insane and had it not been for a veto, the OMRF research would have become criminal. Literally.

Please confine political discussion to the Politics Board.

Thanks.

Pete,

This didn't get partisan. It just contained info that was clearly wrong by any objective standard: namely, that our legislature always considers the scientific community before making laws. Clearly this is not the case, as our last legislative session has unequivocally proven. The fact is that had it not been for a gubernatorial veto, the research at OMRF involving stem cells would have been illegal, and the researchers criminal.

Back on track -

I couldn't be more excited about getting another LEED certified building in OKC. This is a huge step and a wonderful way to try and offset our increasingly large carbon footprint. With the amount that we have to drive to get from point A to point B here in OKC - every little bit counts. From LEED certified buildings to the rumblings about new public transport to an increasingly growing farmer's market - it looks like we may be able to turn our reputation as one of the most un-green cities around. Good job!! :kicking:

pretty exciting stuff, i love seeing all the highrise cranes down there, with the Four up now and a few to be going up soon for the Devon building it actually looks like things are goin on.... Finally!

Any word on the Hotel proposed for the med. center?

The HSC has 5 cranes up now, probably soon to be more with this work starting!

4 highrise cranes, 1 reg crane... as of this weekend

Does anyone know how many jobs these new medical and research buildings will create? I am sure some people will just be moving around the research park, but I would suppose quite a few high paying jobs will be created.

If you read the article linked above to the Nursing Times, I believe they had an estimate.

So the OMRF building will create 300 new jobs. I wonder about the other buildings. It is great to see that sector of our economy expanding at such a rapid pace.

does anybody have any recent pics of the OMRF skyline?

Speaking of the library. I have been hearing a new NW library was going to be built for years. I left OKC almost 10 years ago and they are still talking about a new NW library? What is the hold up?

Many things, of which I don't know all the details, but I believe groundbreaking is possibly as soon as July? It is supposed to open next year. 122nd & MacArther

This is coming along fast. I didn't even know they had funding yet, but the structure is almost done.

There is a webcam.
Research Tower WebCam (http://omrf.ouhsc.edu/OMRF/WebCam/Default.aspx)

Who cares about "green". I love freugal and intelligent design though (pardon the pun).

The double-helix wind turbine is appropriate.

But for what it cost, they could probably afford to supply the building off of the OG&E grid for years and years...

Anyone got any update pics?

Anyone got any update pics?

I was wondering that myself..