Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was establish in 1943 as Project Y of the Manhattan Engineering District. It was set up to develop the world's first atomic bomb. LANL is a multi disciplinary, multi-program laboratory whose central mission still revolves around national security. (1) In it's 50 year history of design, development and testing of nuclear weapons, the laboratory has grown as technology has evolved. Today, LANL uses the core technical competence developed for defense and civilian programs to carry out both its national security responsibility and its broad based programs in energy, nuclear safety, biomedical science, materials science and other basic science. (2)

In an effort to better interface with American industry, LANL has proposed to build a research park to be constructed at the entrance of the lab. This facility will allow LANL to conduct joint research with private sector companies like Motorola. The site is 60 acres with an expected build-out of 300,000 square feet of prime office space. This research park will be host to many corporations of varying sizes. Some will occupy individual buildings, and others may share parts of buildings.

The research park is to be designed as an element of the laboratory, but architecturally independent, with its own access and infrastructure. This site was chosen by LANL because it is situated at the entry to the lab and faces the approach from Los Alamos Canyon Bridge. It is here the new architecture will create a gateway to the lab and declare it as a place of cutting edge science.

The primary objective is to design a prototype building that is both flexible and responsive to clients' needs, and deals with site issues. These office structures will create a vestige of the corporate culture on par with the level of science practiced and developed by the Lab.

1. http:/www.lan.gov/welcome/profile.hmtl, p.1

2. http:/www.lan.gov/welcome/profile.hmtl, p.1