Merck Operations Support Facility

The Operations Support Facility (OSF) for Merck provides 37,850 Sq. Ft. of office, conferencing, dining and other employee support facilities for a vaccine manufacturing plant located in Durham, North Carolina.  The 250-acre campus is secure with the OSF acting as the entry point for all employees arriving and exiting the manufacturing plant.  

Located at the head of the existing manufacturing plant's central corridor/utility spine, the OSF extends this spine through the facility and into the parking lot to the east.  This pedestrian spine is intended to channel employees (incoming and exiting) through the card access entry gates at the front door.  The OSF presents a front door to the street in the office park, screening the bulk of the manufacturing plant beyond.

The two-story Operations Support Facility houses the supporting office functions (i.e., management, human resources, finance) for the manufacturing plant's much larger population.  As a new campus for Merck, the facility's flexibility to accommodate changing office needs is a primary programmatic driver.  In addition, a full service cafeteria, training rooms and employee health clinic further support the functions of the entire campus.

The building's exterior is primarily clad with insulated precast concrete panels.  Continuous bands of ribbon windows provide views out and light into the open office areas.  This light is controlled on the exterior through careful use of sunshading devises, while on the interior, light shelves help to evenly distribute light into the offices. The metal screen for the rooftop mechanical units (as required by the office park), extends to the east to conceal the elevator over-run and then turns to align itself with the spine.  The spine is accentuated with a continuous skylight that runs along the base of the metal screen which continues into the interior of the building.

The interior architecture is intended to reflect the industrial nature of the manufacturing plant.  The main entrance spine is highlighted by a stair that splits the traffic between the upper and lower levels of the plant beyond.  The metal screen, accented by the light from the skylight above, cants to become the stair wall.  Exposed structure, ductwork and concrete floors complete the interior industrial palate of materials.