The expansion has six-and-a-half identical floors of research space, a 6,000-sf`animal facility and a 3,500-sf hazardous materials storage facility. The existing building had floor-to-floor heights of 11'4" (very low for modern laboratories), making the above-ceiling mechanical coordination difficult. The wing now has all air and utility distribution, plus supply and exhaust valve boxes, located in a central mechanical chase, eliminating the need for service access above the laboratory ceiling.

On each of the research floors, 14 double laboratory modules back up to the central service chase, allowing for an extremely flexible and serviceable mechanical system, in addition to providing the most efficient distribution of air and utilities. Air quality is also protected in the research spaces by mechanical air changes. In public spaces, air quality is maximized through careful selection of non-toxic finishes, low in volatile organic compound content, installable with little or no toxic adhesives and treated with special antimicrobials which prevent bacteria growth. For flexibility in the research wing, four different double module laboratory types are designed for any type to be plugged into any double module. These include a basic laboratory, a tissue culture suite (capable of being operated at either BL 2 or BL 3 level protocol), a full bay equipment room, a dark room and an environmental room. A standard double module is 640 sf and provides 117 equivalent linear feet of bench space.