The project: The Roxboro at Venable Center is an 8-story plus penthouse, 202,000-sf mixed use, Class-A office and life science building in downtown Durham, NC – strategically located steps from the American Tobacco Campus and Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The structural steel-framed tower incorporates curtainwall and precast concrete cladding, with multiple floor elevations to accommodate site grade variations. Exterior design features include cantilevered floor sections, elevated terraces, and a pedestrian bridge connecting to a nearby parking deck and residential building at the sixth floor.

The goal: Originally conceived as speculative office space, the project’s scope shifted early in development to meet life science demand and incorporate COVID-era health upgrades. The adaptive design response included adding mechanical shafts, expanding the penthouse area for tenant HVAC needs, and increasing rooftop flexibility to support lab infrastructure and future upfits.

The design:

  • Architecture & Structure: An eight-story steel-framed tower with curtainwall and precast cladding. It integrates seamless transitions across elevated terraces, reinstated site grades, and cantilevered elements.
  • Lab/Office Flexibility: High floor-to-floor clearance, lab plumbing and exhaust chases, redundant power, and mechanical allowances support both office and life science tenants.
  • Amenities: Features two sky-deck lounges (approximately 1,000-sf), a 1,200-sf meeting space, state-of-the-art fitness center, conference facilities, and ground-floor retail or lobby areas.
  • Health & Wellness Features: Touchless entry systems, UV elevator cleaning, auto-flush/restroom foot-pulls, ionization units, and whole-building air purification ensure elevated health standards.
  • Connectivity: A pedestrian bridge at the sixth level connects the office tower to the parking/residential component of the Venable Center.

The outcome: The Roxboro at Venable Center stands as a highly adaptable, modern urban building designed to meet evolving market needs. It seamlessly supports both office and lab tenants, with built-in flexibility for future conversions. Its design elevates tenant health and wellness while offering high-quality amenities and infrastructure for growing life science firms. Sited within the larger Venable Center – a mixed-use development with retail and residential components – the building anchors downtown Durham’s urban revitalization efforts.