Edie and Lew Wasserman Building at UCLA: A Hub for Vision and Innovation

The Edie and Lew Wasserman Building at UCLA stands as a testament to innovative design and advanced medical care. This six-story, 112,000-square-foot structure is more than just a building; it's a unified vision realized through architecture, landscape, and a commitment to patient-centered care.

A Visionary Project

The initial vision for the institute has its roots in the 1960s, when Hollywood agent and studio chief Lew Wasserman, Music Corporation of America founder Jules Stein and then-UCLA Chancellor Franklin Murphy imagined a trio of facilities dedicated to restoring and preserving eyesight. Years of planning culminated in this world-class complex, ensuring the effective use of generous gifts to benefit the public. Campus officials dedicated the Edie & Lew Wasserman Building, a new landmark research and patient-care facility at UCLA, at a festive ceremony.

Unifying Architecture and Purpose

The placement and massing of this new structure unifies two existing Eye Institute buildings constructed on the UCLA campus in the 1960s. The project’s position, proportion, orientation and scale create an outdoor room with terraced landscapes, which orientates visitors to the expanded three-building complex’s main entrances. Designed by Richard Meier and Partners Architects, the Edie and Lew Wasserman Building transformed the Jules Stein Eye Institute. Setting up a strong relationship between architecture and landscape, the new research and patient-care facility frames an outdoor room to unify the existing architecture of the Institute. To distinguish the sophisticated architecture of the Wasserman Building, a restrained approach was taken in the design of the landscape. Since many visitors are sight impaired, one of the most notable aspects of the design is the care taken to engage one’s sense of sound and smell.

A Modern Architectural Marvel

Designed by Richard Meier and Partners Architects, the $115.6 million project is a LEED gold-certified "green," six-story building encompassing 100,000 square feet. It is a stunning example of modern architecture dominated by clean lines, white terracotta and pale oak, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with natural light and reveal dramatic views of campus from the upper floors. A three-story glass wall surrounds the main lobby, where a sculpture of two oversized pairs of glasses commands the spotlight. The Edie & Lew Wasserman Building is a six-level, 112,000-square-foot building on UCLA’s main Westwood campus. The building is constructed of architectural concrete shear walls with structural steel framing, and its exterior façade features expansive curtain walls and delicate terracotta panels and “baguettes” (louver system). Morley Construction Company provided concrete subcontracting services for the project, totaling 6,400 cubic yards. Over 2,400 cubic yards of concrete was required to construct the walls; wall form area totaled 91,600 square feet. Extensive mockups were constructed to refine the mix design and forming materials.

Sustainable Design

The environmentally responsible Wasserman building is LEED Gold certified. Energy efficiency is achieved through proper form and solar orientation, innovative building envelope and mechanical system design, and the specification of advanced building operations and monitoring equipment.

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A Hub for Specialized Medical Care

The six-story, 104,000 square-foot Edie and Lew Wasserman Building is designed to meet the specialized technical demands of the Jules Stein Eye Institute. The facility for the Jules Stein Eye Institute is designed to promote vital research and revolutionize the treatment of patients with eye diseases. The lower level and a portion of the plaza level are designed to OSHPD 3 standards to accommodate six operating rooms as well as facilities for oculoplastics and cataract and refractive surgery, a medical gas tank farm, procedure rooms, and a pharmacy with nurse call and security systems. The Wasserman building’s three lower floors are dedicated to the Stein Eye Institute. The new center features six lower-level operating rooms, with orbital and ophthalmic plastic surgery on the first floor, and cataract and refractive surgery on the second floor. In addition to the UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology (IUO), the facility also houses the Stein Eye Institute and the UCLA Global Neurosurgery Center.

Advanced Technology and Adaptability

The project benefits from a long span building structure, which reduces the number of columns, in order to allow adaptable floor plans that minimize future renovation expenses. A simulation center will enable surgeons and trainees to download images of patients’ brain anatomy to rehearse complex cases before entering the operating room. "We're reinventing the future of neurosurgery with this facility,” said Dr. Neil Martin, chair of neurosurgery at UCLA.

Patient-Centered Care at the Institute of Urologic Oncology (IUO)

In October 2015 the UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology (IUO) moved into dedicated space on the third floor of the Edie & Lew Wasserman Building at UCLA. The mission of the IUO and the physical space represents a dramatic break from the traditional medical approach by providing a “one-stop shop” for patients with urologic cancers - and eliminating the need for multiple visits and disjointed decision-making. The UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology has continued to carry out the theme of art throughout the dedicated clinical and administrative spaces. Dr. Rebecka Belldegrun, a LACMA trustee and wife to UCLA IUO director, Dr. Arie Belldegrun, made the arrangements for the rotating exhibition of artwork within the UCLA IUO facility. Patients benefit from the IUO’s collaborative approach, top diagnostic tools, expertise in robotic surgery and the combined experience of UCLA experts, who often treat the most complicated urologic cancer cases. “This is a new concept; very few centers in the country, if any, are practicing such truly unified medicine,” said Dr. Arie Belldegrun, IUO director. “Patients are able to see and obtain opinions from all experts dealing with their disease in one sitting, rather than scheduling separate appointments with each specialist. A new clinic boasts six exam rooms, two consultation suites and spaces for multidisciplinary teams of physicians to collaborate.

A Legacy of Light and Collaboration

Casey Wasserman, the grandson of Edie and Lew Wasserman, recalled that he was a UCLA senior when he attended his first architectural meeting about the Wasserman building with his grandfather in 1996. “The motto of UCLA is ‘Let There Be Light,’” said Wasserman, president and chief executive officer of the Wasserman Foundation. “The first thing that (lead architect) Michael Palladino said to us was, ‘These buildings are so dark, and you’re treating people who have eye challenges. We need the greatest light in the world and live in the city that provides us with that opportunity.’ There certainly is light here. “We’re here to celebrate the future,” said Dr. A. Eugene Washington, vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, in his remarks at the podium. “The Edie & Lew Wasserman Building is a beautiful symbol of UCLA’s collaborative spirit and our global impact. Calling the Edie & Lew Wasserman Building “the new gateway to UCLA,” Dr. A. “The UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology is leading medicine into a new era of patient- centered care,” says UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. “The welcome addition of the magnificent Edie & Lew Wasserman Building to Stein Plaza will greatly enhance the Stein Eye Institute’s continued evolution into the leading eye care, vision research and educational center of the 21st century,” said Dr. Bartly J. Mondino, director of the Stein Eye Institute and the Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, Chair in Ophthalmology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Wasserman Football Center

ZGF programmed and designed the Wasserman Football Center, a state-of-the-art complex representative of the University’s football heritage that was designed with the intent of raising the caliber of their athletic program, promoting player development, and driving the recruitment and retention of both players and coaches. ZGF conceptualized and created a branded environment for this new facility to honor the legacy of UCLA football and the achievements of its coaches and student-athletes. The UCLA brand was used as the foundation for the development of a visual language that conveys the traditions and culture of the football program. Together, the client and the design team identified historic events, awards, accomplishments, and individuals to be recognized and celebrated. ZGF curated photos and artifacts from the existing football facility to help establish the new visual identity. To ensure that the visual narrative was woven into the architecture, the materials for the graphic applications were chosen to complement the white ash wood, slate, brass, and other materials used throughout the building.

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