UC Colorado and NIST Open Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics Expansion

A 56,065-gsf expansion of the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) opened in April of 2012 in Boulder, Colo. The project provides JILA, a research partnership of the University of Colorado and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with additional vibration-mitigated laboratory space. In addition to a wide range of studies in atomic, molecular, and optical physics, JILA also makes extremely precise measurements of ultrafast processes and at ultralow temperatures. The new six-story wing features a special hallway with completely separate spring-loaded flooring where pumps and other mechanical equipment can operate without disturbing experiments in the adjacent labs. The facility includes new 1,500-sf cleanrooms including an electron microscopy suite. LEED certification will be sought for the project, which was designed by the Denver office of HDR Architecture and built by Saunders Construction of Centennial, Colo.