GFRC facade panels design & fabrication drawings for a hospital in La Jolla

The project involved the design and production of GFRC cladding panels for the ground floor of the Viterbi Family Vision Research Center — a modern building at the UC San Diego campus serving as a state-of-the-art research facility dedicated to the treatment and study of ophthalmological diseases.

While the building emphasized the balance between the transparency of the center’s operations and the functionality of laboratory spaces, its complex architecture posed a range of challenges — requiring advanced expertise and meticulous dedication to tackle efficiently.

Input: Architectural/Structural drawings set and a reference model.

Output:

• Shop drawings set;
• Manufacturing drawings;
• Mold drawings;
• Embed layout drawings.

Input Analysis

Our team joined the project at an advanced stage with compressed timelines. To meet them efficiently, our initial priority was to analyze the entire structure quickly and ensure a thorough understanding of its geometry, supporting elements, and attachment points.

During the input review, the facade was conditionally divided into several zones based on its geometry and the supporting structure of the building — for example, straight panel tops, slanted tops, and more.

Preliminary Design

Once the analysis was complete, the focus shifted to developing standard connection details for typical conditions. Each GFRC panel was insulated and had its own steel frame, which was attached to the building via numerous attachment hardware. The preliminary design stage ensured that these connections were structurally sound and optimized for installation efficiency.

During the design stage, integrating the GFRC frame presented a unique challenge due to the shallow depth of the panels — the significant depth variation in the panel’s cross-section made it difficult to accommodate structurally sound framing. Besides, as the wave-like GFRC facade geometry created space constraints, it further complicated the design process.

Since some facade panels reached up to 30 feet in height, the design required at least three rows of attachment points to ensure structural stability. These panels also needed robust metal framing with large cross-sections — which, given the complexity of the facade geometry, had to be both strong and adaptable.

To address all these challenges, the ORIGIN team proactively collaborated with architects and structural engineers. It helped us refine the design and ensure a well-integrated and structurally sound solution that aligned with the project’s aesthetic and engineering goals.

The structural variation across different facade zones and limited space conditions led to highly diverse connection details, making standardization challenging. To ensure the facade system’s installation feasibility and its long-term maintenance, the ORIGIN experts meticulously coordinated with other building systems.

Another challenge was related to the alignment of panel joints. Our experts had to ensure seamless joints and align multiple panels at different angles, all while preserving the building’s intended aesthetics. Additionally, the design required the panels to be not only attached to the building structure but also interconnected for stability and alignment.

The ORIGIN team successfully engineered and coordinated these elements, ensuring a precise and structurally sound installation.

Throughout the project, the facade and panel designs underwent multiple revisions, requiring reworking of the completed designs to align with updated requirements. This increased both workload and complexity, demanding meticulous attention to detail from the ORIGIN team.

Despite these significant challenges, the project successfully delivered a high-quality facade design that reflected the architectural intent while meeting structural and manufacturing constraints.

Additionally, our team provided a bonus contribution — embed layout drawings that ensured all embeds were correctly positioned. This proactive step also simplified further coordination for the structural design team.