New Jersey Public Health, Environmental and Agricultural Laboratory

This building houses multiple agencies charged with monitoring and protecting public health in New Jersey.

It includes labs, offices and conference space for the New Jersey Department of Public Health and Department of Agriculture. Specialized lab spaces include areas for researching epidemiology, microbiology, environmental chemistry and analytical labs to support public health surveillance, monitoring and screening.

The building plays a key role in the state’s response plan. In addition to more than 15,000 square feet of BSL-3 labs for clinical and bioterrorism response, the facility includes chemical terrorism labs to screen clinical and environmental samples for rapid detection.

Lab designers saved more than 3,000 square feet by consolidating a chain of custody and repository freezers into one high-density system.

Sustainable design strategies include recycled and low-VOC materials, occupancy sensors for lights and fume hood control, and variable air volume hood controls. Carefully positioned photovoltaic cells maximize solar energy use while blending into the architectural details of the roof and facade.