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Completed in April 2005, Pfizer's 62,000-sf Clinical Research Unit (CRU) in New Haven, Conn., features state-of-the-art, flexible lab and research space for clinical trials of drug certification products and accommodates 50 volunteers and 50 staff. Designed by the architectural firm The S/L/A/M Collaborative of Glastonbury, Conn., and built by Whiting Turner of New Haven, the CRU has been awarded Silver LEED™ certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC),  the first such designation for a building in Connecticut. In awarding the Silver rating, the USGBC credited the Pfizer CRU for, among other things, the remediation of its site, a former EPA-designated "brownfield;" energy efficiency; use of local building materials and drought resistant plantings; effective construction waste management; and reduction of indoor pollution. The Green Building Initiative also awarded Pfizer CRU a "Three Globes" designation under its Green Globes environmental assessment and ratings system for the incorporation of energy and environmental considerations in planning and construction.

In addition to clinical facilities, the CRU houses sophisticated laboratories to perform safety and biomarker studies, as well as a research pharmacy. Each floor of the CRU supports a dedicated function: The first level includes a lobby area, multi-purpose rooms, examination rooms, staff support spaces such as lockers and shower rooms, offices, and mechanical areas. The second floor includes approximately 50 beds in semi-private rooms, 25 clinical chairs, dining and food preparation/kitchen area, shower facilities, and recreation spaces. The third level includes a pharmacy with compounding capabilities and a laboratory for processing samples, an exterior terrace, restrooms, and offices for staff, equipment storage areas, and mechanical areas.

The project team also included structural engineer Maachi Engineers of Hartford, Conn., and MEP engineer van Zelm Haywood & Shadford of West Hartford.