The building provides highly flexible laboratory space for scientists with diverse research interests who were recruited over a five-year growth period. Labs are equipped with flexible and removable benches that allow spaces to be configured as traditional wet bench space, open apparatus rooms, or dry research areas—and anything in between. Robust overhead service carriers with quick-connect fittings provide an extensive array of essential bench services and allow for rapid laboratory renovations without the involvement of specialty contractors. Specialized support suites accommodate microscopy, imaging, animal research, tissue culture, and custom apparatus fabrication, giving the institution flexibility to grow and evolve in unpredictable directions over time.

The facility is designed to foster a new community of scientists assembled from around the world. Laboratories are organized around an inviting social center that draws people together from throughout the building. On-site dining and recreational amenities provide the social magnets fundamental to community building; they are complemented by generous meeting and lounge spaces, lunch room and terrace, auditorium, dramatic entry atrium, and shaded outdoor gathering spots with fountains. Few spaces are fully enclosed; floor-to-ceiling glass walls allow open views throughout the building, while providing acoustical and environmental separation where they are needed.

The LEED Gold building is among the most energy-efficient research buildings in South Florida. The exterior design strategy dramatically reduces cooling costs by limiting outside heat gain and controls electrical loads through well-managed natural daylighting. In addition to lowering energy use through highly efficient envelope design and advanced systems engineering, the building extracts substantial energy from its waste streams. Laboratory spaces are cooled with ‘cascading’ conditioned air that is first delivered to offices and public spaces. Enthalpy recovery systems capture and reuse energy from exhaust air, while humidity removed from fresh air intakes is reused as cooling tower water. The landscaping is irrigated with the city’s reclaimed water supply, with special care taken to select plants that thrive naturally in the sub-tropic environment.