Central Michigan University
Biosciences Building
Mount Pleasant, MI
Lord Aeck Sargent provided building programming, laboratory and vivarium planning, concept design and full construction documentation for all educational and research laboratory spaces for a new, four-story Biosciences Building.
The building supports teaching and research for the rapidly growing Department of Biology and provides a blend of open, flexible laboratory environments and specialized support spaces including an imaging facility, an insectary, a BSL-3 lab, and a vivarium housing both rodents and aquatic habitats. Throughout the planning and design phases, significant attention was given to develop a facility to both support existing faculty and programs and to enable and promote recruitment and expanded areas of scientific research.
The building’s siting and design focuses on numerous sustainable concepts, including building orientation, material selection, indoor environmental quality, daylighting opportunities, landscaping and storm water management systems. Organized with access to exterior views and an interior atrium, labs are open and light-filled, and the strategic use and placement of interior and exterior glazing reveals the important and exciting work taking place to both occupants within the building and to those passing by along the exterior.
This project was designed in collaboration with Stantec as Architect of Record.