Caltech Seeks Design Commission Approval for New Lab, Office Building on East California Blvd.

Caltech in Pasadena is seeking concept design approval from the Pasadena Design Commission for a new one- to four-story, 64,638-square-foot laboratory and office building at 1200 East California Blvd. The project, which includes two subterranean stories and a pedestrian bridge connecting to the adjacent Downs-Lauritsen building, is recommended to be reviewed by the Commission on June 11, 2024, according to a staff report from the City’s Planning & Community Development Department.

The proposed development, located on a site zoned PS (Public and Semi-Public) with an Institutional General Plan designation, would consist of a four-story laboratory and office building on the east side and a one-story pavilion to the west, connected by an open breezeway. 

The contemporary-style buildings, designed by HOK, who also serves as the landscape architect, would feature angular modulated volumes and modern materials such as fiber cement panels and glazed curtain wall systems.

The project site, situated on the north side of East California Boulevard between Wilson and Hill Avenues, is currently vacant but was previously occupied by the Sloan Annex building, demolished around 2016. The surroundings include Linde Hall and Kellogg Laboratories to the north, tennis courts and single-family residences to the south, a pedestrian courtyard to the west, and the Downs-Lauritsen Laboratory to the east.

In addition to the new construction, the project involves modifications to an existing historic perimeter wall to allow for access and the rebuilding of the adjacent South Gate Plaza. 

The Planning and Community Development Department recommends that the Design Commission acknowledge the Hearing Officer’s approval of the relocation of three protected olive trees (Olea europaea) in conjunction with the approval of a Conditional Use Permit for the project on May 15, and approve the Concept Design Review application, subject to several conditions.

The staff report concludes that, subject to the recommended conditions and the Commission’s findings related to the Environmental Determination and Compliance with the Tree Protection Ordinance, the project design is consistent with the design-related goals and policies of the City’s General Plan, the Caltech Master Plan, and the Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines for Rehabilitation.

“The project design has satisfactorily addressed the comments provided during Preliminary Consultation and is consistent with the design-related goals and policies of the Land Use Element of the General Plan, the Caltech Master Plan, and the Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines for Rehabilitation,” the Planning Department said.