RMJM won the international design competition for the design of 108,000 m² of research and development facilities in Suzhou, China. Calling on the specialist education and laboratory design skills of the firm, the brief included accommodation for biological and materials research, computing, and higher education in business and the creative arts.
As a service institute for the wider academic town, the campus was designed to be accessible to the general public and provided gardens, cafes, and sporting and performing arts facilities. The traditional architecture of Suzhou was acknowledged in the courtyard-ordered arrangement of the building.