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Ginsburg Center Project FAQs

Caltech is building the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Center for Quantum Precision Measurement. It will be the first center to unite researchers in precision measurement, quantum information, and the detection of gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time. Researchers in the Ginsburg Center will explore quantum phenomena across all scales and invent measurement instruments with unprecedented sensitivity. The resulting discoveries are expected to yield insights into natural processes and lead to new technologies.

Basic Information

Where will it be? The new building will stand on the north side of California Boulevard between the Ronald and Maxine Linde Hall of Mathematics and Physics and the George W. Downs Laboratory of Physics and Charles C. Lauritsen Laboratory of High Energy Physics, where a physics building was demolished in 2016. This location helps unite a diverse community of theorists and experimentalists devoted to understanding quantum systems and their potential uses.

When will construction take place? Through the fall of 2026. Typical construction hours will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. (Over the course of the project, some activity may take place on weekends and as late as 7 p.m. on weekdays, within City of Pasadena guidelines.)

Building Design

What will the building look like? The building's design features a transparent façade inflected inward on its south and west sides to suggest a prism or the bending of space-time, an allusion to research that will take place in the building. Behind that evocative façade, the building's street-facing south side will feature collaboration areas, while offices will line the quiet interior sides. Parts of the ground floor will be recessed to give space to lush plantings and outdoor mingling areas. Glass panel doors and a breezeway, connecting to an adjacent seminar room, will enable indoor-outdoor flow. While much of the new building is conceptualized as a nearly rectangular column proportionate to other campus buildings and made of similar materials, basement laboratories will be expansive, stretching west under the historic campus entrance on the north side of California Boulevard.

Who are the architects? The architectural firm is HOK, who designed the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and other notable buildings worldwide, including research buildings such as the University of Glasgow Advanced Research Centre, LG Science Park in Seoul, South Korea, and several facilities for the fields of life sciences, biomedical discovery, and medicine.

How are sustainability and our environment being considered? This project aims for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. Sustainable design is a specialty of HOK.

How is HOK taking the aesthetic surroundings into consideration and connecting this modern building to the historic campus? The design of the new building complements the scale, size, and architectural patterns and rhythms of nearby buildings, corresponding most closely on the sides that face them. The building's eastern façade will have a similar color and material as the neighboring laboratory.

Anticipated Disturbances, Traffic, and Parking

What disturbances can I anticipate and what steps is Caltech taking to minimize them? Though the project necessarily will continue to cause noise, dust, odors, vibration, and parking and traffic impacts, we work to minimize disturbance. The most noise is expected to have occurred in the first three months of the project, when an old, thick concrete pad was demolished and the basement dug.

Here are some of the ways we are minimizing disturbance:

  • Shift California Boulevard lanes southward to maintain two-way traffic throughout the project.
  • Keep the air and streets clean by spraying down dust, rinsing truck tires, and using truck turnouts and exit plates (bumps designed to knock dirt off of truck tires).
  • Monitor vibration and work with nearby building managers if vibration exceeds an agreed-on threshold.
  • Provide information early and often, publishing timely information on the websites and newsletters listed below. Thoughts shared by neighbors and locals at listening sessions and public meetings in 2023 have shaped this project. If you have questions or concerns, please email or call one of the contacts listed at the bottom of this page.
  • Invite managers of neighboring campus buildings to participate in construction update meetings at least monthly, and post big-picture news shared at these meetings.
  • Abide by City of Pasadena construction guidelines to protect quality of life.

Where can I find updates?

Which paths and walkways are closed?

Closures depend on the stage of the project.

  • The first two months of construction, only the passageway between Linde and the site and the fire road between the site and Downs-Lauritsen was closed.
  • Now, through project completion, additionally, the sidewalk on the north side of California Boulevard is closed west of Arden Road to the nearest lighted intersection, as is the paths and area between Bridge and Linde. People who want to go from the south side of California Boulevard to the east side of campus should cross at Arden Road. People heading for the west side of campus continue to cross at S. Campus Road and then detour to the west of the project site.
  • After construction, pedestrian access will be better than it was before the project began, with wheelchair-accessible paths to the arcades and reflecting pool near Caltech Hall. Wayfinding signage maps are posted on California Blvd.

How has parking been affected?

  • Several parking spaces are temporarily unavailable on the north and south sides of California Boulevard.
  • Construction workers will park on the bottom floor of the California parking structure.
  • Parking structures on Wilson and Holliston Avenues have become busier.

How are roads and commutes near campus affected? Lanes on California Boulevard just west of Arden Road are shifted south for about a block. California Boulevard and other roads around campus will remain open throughout this project, except for occasional closures. On a few days in March 2025, California Blvd will be closed between Arden Road and South Campus for crane delivery and setup. On Saturday, March 1, this work will start at 7am and continue until 4:30pm. The road will also be closed starting 7am on Friday, March 14, until crane work completion on Sunday, March 16.

Does the project affect Children's Center at Caltech drop-off and pick-up? The Children's Center is not impacted by the project.

Does the project affect Polytechnic School drop-off and pick-up? We do not expect any disruptions to Poly drop-off and pick-up.

Which roads do trucks use? To access and leave the site, construction trucks travel City-advised truck routes, heading to the site from the 210 freeway on Hill Avenue. If you see construction trucks routinely using unapproved routes, please email neighbor@caltech.edu or gcqpm@caltech.edu so that we can alert the relevant subcontractor.

Where are materials stored? Most materials are stored offsite and moved to campus when needed.

Research, Utilities, and Deliveries

How is ongoing research affected? We understand that sound and vibration can impact research in neighboring buildings. Therefore, we are continually monitoring vibrations in nearby labs and buildings as the project progresses. In addition, our communication plan takes vibration into account and our monthly town halls continue to coordinate with all interested parties.

How have building utilities been affected? Building utilities have been, and will continue to be, impacted across multiple buildings on campus.  The project team, along with the Facilities Operations & Services team, is working diligently and maintaining regular communication with all divisions to minimize disruptions to research and operations.  A detailed description of these impacts is forthcoming.

How have deliveries been affected? We continue to coordinate with Security, Operations & Services, and the construction team to provide alternative paths of travel for delivery access, including access to nearby loading docks and elevators.

Contacts

Who do I email or call to ask a question or report a concern?

You can contact the GCQPM project management team directly at gcqpm@caltech.edu.

Students, postdocs, faculty, or staff members with questions or concerns can also email Julia Ehlert, today@caltech.edu.

Neighbors with questions or concerns can also email Ann Motrunich, neighbor@caltech.edu.

If you have a safety-related question or concern, please submit it by completing this form, which automatically contacts Caltech's Environmental Health and Safety and Security staff. You may also call (626) 395-6727 or (626) 395-5000 outside of business hours.