30 Amazing Eco-friendly University Science Labs

HOK architectural firm won a global competition to design the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building at the University at Buffalo. Projected to be completed in 2016, the facility will seek LEED Gold certification, and proponents hope to rejuvenate downtown Buffalo with this new $375 million structure. A six-story central atrium links two L-shaped buildings, and designers hope numerous common areas will promote collaboration between specialized areas and departments within the building. Eco-friendly features include a terra cotta rain screen, natural light and ventilation, and proximity to public transportation.

The Physical and Life Sciences Research Building at the University of Virginia was designed by Bohkin Cywinski Jackson architects of Pittsburgh, and received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Home to the biology, chemistry, and physics labs, the facility was completed in 2011 and includes green spaces and an interior design that promotes inter-disciplinary collaboration through the use of an open structure. Motion sensory lighting and temperature controls and ample use of daylight helped bring the project under budget by over $10 million. The research facility includes spaces to study sleep disorders and nerve regeneration, and the use of cutting-edge technology makes it one of the most eco-friendly buildings on campus.

The Saunders Research Building at the University of Rochester Medical Center is the University's first LEED Gold eligible building and was completed in 2011 for over $76 million. Designed primarily to enhance collaboration between departments, the facility includes glass-walled offices and an open floor plan. Windows wrap the top floors to maximize daylight, and the use of native and adaptive landscaping reduces the need for additional onsite irrigation. The parking lot is composed of porous pavement to capture storm runoff, and 10% of the project's materials originated within 500 miles of the building site.

Opened in 2011 and located along the edge of Mount Sutro, the Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building at the University of California at San Francisco was designed by Raphael Vinoly Architects of New York. The facility is LEED Gold certified and includes a renovation as well as construction, and also functions as the headquarters of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research. Sustainability features of the project include a green roof, low-VOC materials, and energy efficient fume hoods. Designed to maximize the comfort, health, and safety of the building's occupants, 90% of the occupied areas utilize natural light and communal spaces lend to an environment of partnership across subjects.

Designed by IDC Architects, Doherty Hall at Carnegie Mellon University recently underwent an extensive renovation and received LEED Silver certification for commercial interiors. Winner of the 2009 Historic Review Commission's prestigious Preservation Award, the facility houses the materials sciences undergraduate program and was completed in 2007. Included in the update of the original structure designed by Henry Hornbostel in the early twentieth century, are low-energy fixtures, a rainwater harvesting system, and an open layout to facilitate collaborative learning. The design also incorporates a garden roof and a 20,000 square foot addition.

The Biomedical Sciences Building at the University of Florida was designed by Hunton Brady Architects, and is the home of the departments of medicine, engineering, and public health. The design incorporates an open internal structure that includes wall-less classrooms and large windows to facilitate interaction between departments and nurture a cross-disciplinary environment. Included in the 165,000 square foot facility is a vivarium for plant and animal research, as well as the state's largest biomedical enterprise. Comprised of eight stories, the LEED Gold certified structure cost over $90 million and is intended to help facilitate and develop medical research.

Originally built in 1971, Portland State University's Science Building 2 was recently upgraded to receive LEED Gold certification. Containing nearly 250,000 square feet, and housing the biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science labs, Science Building 2 incorporates a number of structural improvements as well as eco-friendly updates. Also known as the Science Research and Teaching Center (SRTC), Science Building2 experienced seismic retrofitting improvements, new mechanical and heating systems, and a state-of-the-art hazardous waste facility. New laboratory fume hoods will reduce the building's energy use by 30% and will save the University nearly $300,000 yearly.

Located in Clemson, South Carolina, the Advanced Materials Research Laboratory was designed by IDC Architects with a plan to promote communication and scholarly exchange among students and faculty. Housing the departments of chemistry and nanotechnology, the facility is the first nanotechnology laboratory in the country to receive LEED Silver certification. Completed in 2004, the building's construction incorporates energy efficient lighting, optimum employment of daylight, low-VOC materials and furnishings, and low-flow or dual-flush toilets. Eighty-three percent of the waste created during construction was recycled, and meeting rooms and student offices are filled with natural light.

Winner of the 2012 American Institute of Architects Merit Award, the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa has achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Designed by OPN Architects, the structure incorporates the state public health and environmental labs and was completed in 2010. Ninety percent of the occupied spaces have access to natural light, and one-third of the structure is composed of recycled products. By using native plants, the landscaping requires no special irrigation, and one-third of the building's construction materials originated locally.

Originally built in the 1950s and designed by Sigvald Berg, the Cooley Laboratory at Montana State University experienced a complete renovation and received LEED Gold certification in 2013. Architects Design Group constructed a strategy to use American made and recycled materials in their vision for creating a more environmentally sustainable facility. With efficiency plumbing and energy-saving lighting fixtures, the Cooley Laboratory was paid for with the help of a grant from the National Institute of Health. The building was also updated with seismic retrofitting, and 90% of the wood used in its construction originated from certified sustainable forests.

Winner of the Excellence in Design Award from the City of Claremont, California, Pomona College's Richard C. Seaver Biology Building is LEED Silver certified. Recipient of the Sustainability Award from the City of Los Angeles Business Council, the facility occupies over 46,000 square feet, and incorporates eco-friendly features including solar panels, exposed concrete floors, low-VOC materials, and ample use of natural light. Complete with an electric vehicle charging station and native plantings that do not require additional irrigation, the structure houses offices, research labs, and student lounge areas to encourage cross-disciplinary integration.

Located in Vancouver, the Beaty Biodiversity Centre and the Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory was completed in 2009 and received LEED Gold certification. Designed by Patkau Architects and located on the campus of the University of British Columbia, the site also occupies a natural history museum. Sustainability features onsite include an atrium with glazed windows to ventilate and bring light to the structure's interior, photosensors to minimize the use of artificial light, and a concrete structure to impart a cooling effect during the warmer summer months.

Also known as the LIMS Complex, the LaTrobe University Institute for Molecular Science was awarded a 5 Star Green Star through the Green Buildings Council of Australia. The structure's stunning façade incorporates a number of large cell-like shapes in blue and red, and is the home of the University's chemistry, biochemistry, and genetics research departments. Designed by Lyons Architecture, the LIMS Complex includes a water-harvesting system to supply water for garden irrigation and toilet facilities. Sun shades control the building's light and glare, and the mixed air-conditioning system incorporates a traditional cooling system with natural temperature control. The building also features a 200-seat auditorium and a DNA sequencing facility, making it one of the world's most sought after research facilities.

The Robert and Beverly Lewis Integrative Science Building at the University of Oregon was completed in 2012 and is currently seeking LEED Platinum certification. Contained within the four-story, 100,000 square foot structure is a collaborative space, offices, and a light-filled atrium with glass walls that function as white-boards and encourage interaction across disciplines. Designed by THA Architecture, the design incorporates a green roof, solar panels, and temperature-controlled windows that rely on sensors to adjust the interior climate when windows are open or closed. The design also focuses on the protection of existing trees, and pathways onsite were constructed around existing root systems. A glass atrium allows for ample daylight throughout the structure, and a rain-harvesting feature provides water for the building's bathroom facilities.

For Harvard University's FAS Sherman Fairchild Laboratory, Payette Associates revitalized an existing structure for the Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology (SCRB) Department. Under Harvard's Green Building Standards, the new lab was completed in 2012 and occupies nearly 100,000 square feet. The lab encourages communication and collaboration between disciplines through its open interior structure, and its eco-friendly attributes include the use of low-VOC paints, coatings, and sealants, and its commitment to providing daylight to 97% of the structure's occupied areas. Ninety-one percent of the construction materials for the Sherman Fairchild Laboratory project were recycled, and a focus on natural light and open spaces helped this laboratory attain LEED Platinum certification.

Columbia University's Comer Geochemistry Building achieved a LEED Silver certification and was completed in 2007. Named Lab of the Year in 2009 by Research and Development Magazine, the structure's 70,000 square feet houses labs for the study of climate science, and was designed specifically to conserve trees and green spaces onsite. The building's sustainability features include high-efficiency fixtures, movement detection light and temperature control systems, and a natural ventilation system. Ninety percent of the structure's occupied spaces have access to daylight, and ample bicycle parking and shower facilities encourage alternative transport to and from the building.

Certified LEED Gold in 2013, the University of Pittsburgh's Chevron Annex houses the University's Department of Chemistry. Built as an addition to the existing Chevron Science Center, the completed renovation includes high performance ventilation hoods, which protect users from the chemicals used in the synthetic chemistry lab. The 8,650 square foot design, by Renaissance 3 Architects, P.C., focuses on safety and operator health above all else. Demolition of the existing internal structure allowed for a number of safety updates including fire protection and state-of-the-art chemical disposal systems. The building's addition won the AIA Pittsburgh 2012 Excellence in Architecture Honor Award.

By installing ample bicycle parking and shower facilities onsite, Kennesaw University's newly constructed Prillaman Hall aims to reduce the number of cars used on campus by encouraging more energy efficient modes of transportation among students and faculty. Achieving LEED Gold certification, the 200,000 square foot structure was constructed from locally sourced materials including bricks and wood, and incorporates a rainwater harvesting system, which serves as the site's primary means of landscape irrigation. Motion detection based lighting and low-flow toilets also contribute to the building's sustainability features, and make it the third LEED certified building on the University's Kennesaw, Georgia campus.

Rice University's BioScience research Collaborative (BRC) is a 10-story LEED Gold certified structure that works in conjunction with Houston's world-renowned Texas Medical Center. The 475,000 square foot facility provides cutting edge classrooms and a 287-seat auditorium, along with eco-friendly characteristics including a green roof to aid in storm water reduction, and energy-efficient heating and cooling. Builders recycled nearly 75% of the project's construction waste, and condensation for the facility's cooling system is collected and reused throughout the complex. A swath of windows across the façade allows for maximization of daylight, and the open interior design promotes collaboration between the wide varieties of disciplines housed inside.

Located in Upland, Indiana, the Taylor University Euler Science Complex houses over 125,000 square feet and has achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Designed by The Troyer Group, the facility's sustainability features include low-irrigation landscaping, a rooftop garden to insulate the building in the winter and cool it in the summer, and a central atrium to maximize the use of natural daylight. Completed in 2012, the building also incorporates a computerized monitoring room for students to track their energy use, and a rooftop heliostat to deflect sunlight and aid in structural cooling.