Amherst, MA and Boston, MA – Chancellor Robert C. Holub welcomed numerous dignitaries at Friday’s celebration of the New Laboratory Science Building, designed by Wilson Architects of Boston. Guests included Jay Gonzalez, State Secretary of Administration and Finance; UMass President Jack Wilson; Trustee Victor Woolridge; Senator Stan Rosenberg; Provost James V. Staros; and Susan Leschine, a Microbiology Professor whose research will be conducted in the NLSB.
The New Laboratory Science Building represents one of the largest current public projects moving forward in the Commonwealth. To Bill Wilson, President of Wilson Architects and Principal-in-Charge of the New Laboratory Science Building, it represents something more. “This is more than just a building; it is a vision”, he says. “The users will be interdisciplinary clusters instead of traditional departments. The building is designed to co-house biologists, chemists and engineers and let them collaboratively solve challenges”.
Half of the new 318,000 GSF building will be occupied by the fall of 2012, while the other half will be “shell space” to be fitted out for future faculty. Adds Wilson, “this strategy will provide UMass Amherst with an excellent tool to recruit the world’s top researchers … most researchers want to have a space that is customized to meet their goals, and the shell space will quickly and economically provide UMass the ability to meet these researcher’s needs”.
The New Laboratory Science Building will include flexible open research labs with equipment alcoves and enclosed support labs as well as shared platform labs and faculty offices, a vivarium for keeping and raising organisms for observation and research, conference rooms, food serving areas, and a rooftop greenhouse.
The New Laboratory Science Building is a sustainable building, as well, targeting LEED Silver Certification. The design includes energy-efficient systems that will minimize and recycle the large amounts of energy and water consumed in laboratory buildings.