Princeton University’s brief was for a new, world-class facility which would house its Chemistry Department, signal a reinvigorated Faculty and attract international talent. It also needed to be environmentally responsible in line with the University’s evolving sustainability strategy.

Located within the University’s “Natural Sciences Neighbourhood” adjacent to Physics, Genomics and Molecular Biology buildings, the Frick Chemistry Laboratory provides 300,000sq ft of space including teaching, faculty research and office spaces, and helps foster interdisciplinary interaction, collaboration and creativity through shared and efficient use of facilities. The building is designed to act as an incubator for the next generation of ideas and discoveries - particularly appropriate because it was largely funded by the royalties obtained from the sale of the anti-cancer drug “Alimta”, discovered by one of the faculty members.

We worked closely with laboratory planning experts to consider scale, environmental conditions and social engagement, arriving at a building which is future proofed, with a rigorous layout to support flexible adaptation of workspaces. Laboratories have been individually located within the building depending on the specific environmental conditions they require including tolerance to vibration levels.

Designed to set a new standard in energy-efficient chemistry research buildings throughout the US, the

project’s sustainable features include photovoltaic panels located above the glazed atrium roof which double up as a shading device, and a sustainable energy monitoring station in the atrium. An engineered facade system was manufactured offsite to maximise efficiency in installation and minimise construction waste. It includes 2,100 individual high-performance glass lites to allow significant daylight penetration and features automated shading devices and a highly-insulated design to lower active demand on mechanical systems.

Externally, a 12,000-gallon rainwater collection cistern ties into a greywater system that collects and recycles stormwater.