University of Michigan Opens Biological Science Building

The University of Michigan opened the $261 million Biological Science Building in April of 2019 in Ann Arbor. Designed by SmithGroup and Ennead Architects to accommodate 90 principal investigators and their teams, the interdisciplinary building offers 84 wet and dry research labs arranged in open neighborhoods for optimal flexibility. Accommodating programs in ecology, evolutionary biology, paleontology, zoology, natural history, and molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, the five-story, 312,000-gsf facility includes a team-based active learning room, an aquatics facility, classrooms, administrative offices, and breakout spaces. The project also provides a new home for the Museum of Natural History which includes a 60-seat planetarium and a multimedia science forum. The general contractor was Barton Malow. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which features chilled beams, occupancy sensors, and advanced building systems.