Located on Schering-Plough's 106-acre pharmaceutical headquarters campus, the $300 million DDF is the largest pharmaceutical research structure in New Jersey and represents the single largest capital investment in Schering-Plough's history. Opened in 1993, the DDF:
- Spans 1-million square feet and covers more than seven acres.
- Comprises seven main structures housing 1,300 researchers and administrative staff.
- Provides all the highly technical functional requirements of a cutting-edge research institution while maximizing opportunities for interaction among scientists from different laboratories, groups and disciplines.
- Maintains 640 laboratories as well as an SPRI headquarters office building with a large technologically advanced library information center, a company-subsidized cafeteria and a fully equipped auditorium.
The Design
The DDF was designed as a series of interconnected functional units -- consisting of a Research Office Building and five Laboratory Blocks clustered around courtyards -- that allow for a large amount of laboratory space and external views from each laboratory and office.
To create an atmosphere of "shared community" -- encouraging cross-organizational dialogue and interaction -- the DDF's design incorporates the following features:
- Interconnected functional units
- Closely situated research programs that collaborate on a regular basis
- A Management Core that links the Laboratory blocks and houses research support and other common functions
- Conference rooms on every floor
- A flexible, modular design that allows the ratio of laboratory, office and support space to be easily modified