Lehigh University Opens Health, Science and Technology Building

Lehigh University opened the $145 million Health, Science and Technology Building in spring of 2022 in Bethlehem, Pa. Designed by HGA to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, the 200,000-gsf facility features flexible open laboratories for research programs in biohealth, energy, and materials science. Interior glass walls enhance visibility and connectivity in the five-story structure, which includes multipurpose instructional venues, the Health Data Warehouse, and the administrative home of the College of Health. Conference rooms, meeting areas, and informal interaction spaces ring the perimeter, with faculty offices strategically sited in the center to ensure professors are accessible to their students.

Framed by a sophisticated curtainwall with an integrated sunscreen, the vibration-mitigated building incorporates an additional basement level for advanced instrumentation suites and the Nano-Human Interfaces Visualization and Data Analysis Lab. The third and fourth floors offer shell space to accommodate future growth. Targeting LEED Gold, the sustainably designed structure has attained Fitwel certification and includes a rainwater reclamation system, several interior gardens, and a café with a green roof. The project team included Turner Construction and Langan Engineering & Environmental Services. Ground was broken on the facility in October of 2019.