ICONIC BUILDING WILL BE HOME TO THE WATER INSTITUTE OF THE GULF HEADQUARTERS, RESEARCH & INTERPRETIVE CENTER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 31, 2015 For more information contact:
Tina Rance, Marketing Director, 225.317.3021, trance@cprt.com
Baton Rouge, LA. – The Water Campus released the first images of the new The Water Institute of the Gulf’s Headquarters, Research and Interpretive Center today. Louisiana-based Coleman Partners Architects LLC and global architect firm Perkins+Will have collaborated with Water Campus stakeholders to design the iconic building that will be constructed on the old city dock at the new, innovative Water Campus near downtown Baton Rouge. Construction will begin later this year with completion expected in July 2017.
The building will be headquarters for The Water Institute of the Gulf, and a research and interpretive center. It will be located on the historical Baton Rouge City Dock that was completed in 1926. The 33,000-square-foot, $22-million building will consist of an interpretive gallery, exhibit areas, offices, research labs and meeting and conference facilities. The building will be situated on the dock in a way that continues the long history of Baton Rouge business and culture existing along the banks of the Mississippi River.
“The design team is excited by the possibilities offered by this particular site. Not only will we be able to meet all of the programmatic requirements of The Water Institute, but we will be able to do so on a site like no other in the city,” said Buddy Ragland, principal at Coleman Partners. The architect’s design considerations include the ability to express the overall mission of The Water Institute of The Gulf and embraces the Mississippi River as its leading design component and reflects the ecologically sensitive nature of the project and its unique site. “This building will be a world-class facility that Louisiana will be proud of,” said Chip Groat, president and CEO of The Water Institute. “We continue to work diligently every day with our team and partners to build a world-class applied research organization worthy of calling such an iconic building home.”
Other local projects by the Coleman Partners/Perkins+Will team include renovation and additions to Patrick Taylor Hall for LSU’s highly-ranked College of Engineering. Coleman Partners has an extensive history of working in Baton Rouge and specifically with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and is very familiar with the challenges of working in and on the Mississippi River. Perkins+Will is part of a national planning, architecture and interior design firm founded in 1935, with particular experience in the design and construction of headquarters, interpretive spaces, and science and technology parks.
At the Water Campus off Nicholson Drive, construction has begun on the $20-million building for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to house its team of over 160 administrators, scientists, technicians and office support staff. CPRA is the agency charged with implementing the state’s $50 billion comprehensive master plan for a sustainable coast.
Construction has also begun on the Center for River Studies by LSU and CPRA. This 50,000-square-foot, small-scale model of the Mississippi River will allow for the study of all facets of ground and water behavior. It will be the one of the largest, most-dynamic models in the world.
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has taken the leadership role in master planning the Water Campus. Commercial Properties Realty Trust, the real estate arm of the Foundation, will develop and manage the campus. When fully built out, the urban, riverside campus will include more than 1.5 million square feet of commercial space on about 33 acres, and house 2,000 occupants who will inspire international collaboration with other global water campuses and universities.
Coleman Partners Architects, LLC. is serving as Architect of Record and Perkins + Will is serving as our Associated Architect for Design. For more information please visit: www.cparch.com www.perkinswill.com
About The Water Institute of the Gulf: The Water Institute of the Gulf is a not-for-profit, independent research institute dedicated to advancing the understanding of coastal, deltaic, river and water resource systems, both within the Gulf Coast and around the world. This mission supports the practical application of innovative science and engineering, providing solutions that benefit society. For more information, visit www.thewaterinstitute.org.
About The Water Campus: The Water Campus promotes an environment of shared resources and relationships creating a new knowledge economy targeted at attracting a wide range of partners and potential tenants to facilitate the development of the Campus and advance the study and applied science of water research for the international community. This presents a unique and compelling opportunity to assert a prominent global role for the city of Baton Rouge, the State of Louisiana and all Campus partners in addressing the critical issues the world faces around water. For more information, visit www.thewatercampus.org
About The Baton Rouge Area Foundation: The Foundation is a community foundation with $608 million in assets. The Foundation connects philanthropists with nonprofits to make sure the needs of communities are met. After decades of providing the vision and the resources necessary to enhance the quality of life throughout south Louisiana, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. Recognized for its work as an innovative problem solver and visionary, the Foundation and its partners, both public and private, have achieved a long and impressive list of accomplishments in urban revitalization, education, research, the arts, regional transportation and infrastructure improvement. For more about the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, visit www.BRAF.org.
About Commercial Properties Realty Trust: CPRT is a real estate investment trust that manages and develops property holdings of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Because of this relationship with a community foundation, a portion of the profits are shared for improving the quality of life in areas where CPRT operates. CPRT manages shopping centers and mixed-use properties in North Carolina, Louisiana and Texas. For more, visit www.CPRT.com