Lehigh’s flexible new research facility will advance academic discoveries to improve human health.
Boston—National interdisciplinary design firm HGA is pleased to highlight the recent completion of Lehigh University’s Health | Science |Technology (HST) building. Prominently situated at the northeast corner of the University’s historic Asa Packer campus, the sustainably designed facility provides a modern environment for research into public health, supports chemistry, materials science, and biological science, and is the administrative home of Lehigh’s new College of Health.
The design of HST fosters interdisciplinary collaboration with emphasis on thematic neighborhoods and the physical and academic connection of its building users. The building’s five floors provide environments that encourage impactful collaboration between undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty researchers. Flexible, open laboratories accommodate immediate expansion and contraction of research groups with minimal disruption. The open laboratory zones are comprised of wet programming for Energy & Batteries, Functional Materials & Devices, BioHealth Initiative, and the College of Health. These open laboratory zones are all directly adjacent to – and grafted alongside – the computational research labs situated within the building’s office spaces.
The 189,000 GSF building features spacious and open areas that can easily be reconfigured to accommodate future research needs, including movable tables with overhead gas lines that can support nearly any arrangement in the laboratories. Faculty offices within the open office plan are grouped in clusters, loosely defining boundaries between the shared desking zones. The placement of floor openings, with associated communicating stairs and interior gardens, further establishes an identity and distinct sense of place on each level. This dynamic layout provides visual and physical connections between building users within the large open floor plates and neighboring floors.
Certified LEED v4 Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council, HST is a high-performance laboratory for human health research designed with an emphasis on energy and water efficiency. The building employs numerous energy conservation measures, including an improved building envelope, chilled beams, neutral-temperature supply air design, heat shift chillers, high efficiency condensing boilers, and ample natural light.
Additionally, HST was named one of Fitwel’s 2023 Best in Building Health Award Winners for Highest Scoring Projects for its commitment to public health. The building achieved Highest Score of 2022 (Design) and Highest Score: Single-Tenant Building (Design).
HGA shares the celebration of the completion of HST with our collaborators:
- Vanderweil Engineers: MEP/FP and Sustainability
- LeMessurier: Structural
- Langan Engineers: Civil
- Jensen Hughes: Code
- Sasaki: Landscape Architect
- MoharDesign: Interior Design
- Cavanaugh Tocci: Audio Visual
- Acentech: Acoustics & Vibration
- Vitatech: EMI
- Novus Environmental Inc: Wind Wake
- Roll Barresi: Project Signage
- Vermeulens Consultants: Cost Consulting
- Turner Construction Company: Construction Manager
About Lehigh University
Located in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Lehigh Valley, Lehigh is one of the nation’s most distinguished private research universities. Through academic rigor, an entrepreneurial mindset, and collaborative opportunities we challenge our students to become the leaders of the future. Recognized among the nation’s premier research universities, Lehigh offers a rigorous academic community for more than 7,000 students.
About HGA
HGA is a national interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of over 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists. Our practice spans multiple markets, including corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, healthcare, and science and technology. Visit HGA.com or follow on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
