Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society and the Environment

Scientists from around the world gather to advance the study of the oceans, earth, and marine life sciences at this oceanfront conference center.  Located atop an ocean bluff exposed to strong winds and the western sun with an existing palm grove and ever-changing ocean providing context, the project responds to these forces without impacting the site’s natural beauty. At the project’s center is a 300-person auditorium, conceived of as a box within a box that can shed its layers depending on the event and the desired configuration. Four oceanfront meeting rooms are complemented by a graduate student lounge, a catering kitchen, and a restaurant. Each of the meeting rooms open onto its own trellised terrace, enabling meetings and receptions to spill out onto the ocean bluff.