The building was designed to complement surrounding structures. Its limestone-colored pre-cast concrete and glass façade is punctuated with bay windows, designed to provide abundant light to laboratory spaces. Existing campus circulation patterns are incorporated into the design of the building.

The design of the laboratories was based on a module of 11' x 27'-5". Variable-volume fumehoods were selected for their economy and their fast response of supply and exhaust valves that maintain the laboratories at required pressure. Special attention was paid to the clean rooms located on the fourth floor of the Materials Science Building. Air-recirculating units are located in a plenum above the ceiling and each unit has an additional cooling coil.

During the planning process, it was determined that two different functions and user groups need to be in one building. The solution was to design the Materials Sciences adjacent to the Technology Center with internal modular labs and external offices; the Life Sciences adjacent to Biological Science with external modular labs and internal offices with a common corridor to connection both functions. The need to maintain internal integrity and circulation required interconnection at multiple levels to facilitate existing interaction; and the mechanical system was designed to accommodate the large, 60-foot diameter modular labs for Materials Sciences and the modular labs of Life Sciences.