May 8, 2013
IDRI moves to new HQ on Eastlake
The Infectious Disease Research Institute has moved into a new headquarters at 1616 Eastlake Ave. E., where it is leasing 55,000 square feet.
The international architecture firm Aedas redesigned the space, and BNBuilders was the general contractor.
The company said it decided to leave its former home on First Hill to be near the bustling life sciences firms in South Lake Union, putting it closer to potential partners and funders.
Most of the space is general laboratories, as well as specialized facilities including a manufacturing site and rooms for drug discovery robotics.
There is also a space where IDRI can host educational events for up to 100 people.
The office was designed with an open floor plan, and has large windows and relights. The company saved $1 million by reusing office configurations already in place. That money was put back into the labs.
“At IDRI, our motto is ‘science first',” said Stewart Parker, IDRI chief executive officer. “Our main goal is to enable our scientists to do their work in the most collaborative environment to fulfill our mission of researching and developing new products for global infectious diseases.”
The space also has a public component. There are tour stops for visitors throughout the lab space that show IDRI's manufacturing and vaccine development work.
IDRI has 125 employees in Seattle. The company works on infectious diseases by developing diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.