Lehman College Life Sciences Facility

The new life sciences building presents the public face of the sciences at Lehman College, a City University of New York campus in the Bronx.

Stemming from a master plan for the development of a 300,000 sf science campus, the new building provides 55,000 sf of space for the proposed Plant Science Institute. 

The design proposes the creation of a central courtyard, defined by new and existing buildings, that symbolizes the sciences at Lehman and encourages interaction with the broader college community. The new buildings are simple, elegant volumes that complement the existing collegiate gothic architecture in terms of massing, scale, language and material, with the entry defined by a multi-story glass atrium that links undergraduate teaching with graduate research activities and sponsors interaction among students, faculty and researchers.

A blend of teaching and research labs, the building is built around a core of lab support spaces, faculty offices and seminar rooms. Modular design will provides flexibility: teaching labs can be converted to research labs and seminar rooms will be adaptable as graduate assistant “bullpens”.

The building is pursuing a LEED Gold rating, featuring systems such as solar hot water heating and a constructed wetland within the design of the courtyard landscape.