Jackson Lab Certified LEED Gold

CENTERBROOK, Conn. -- The new Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, Connecticut has earned LEED Gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council, garnering 69 green credits or 9 more than the minimum required. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Centerbrook Architects in collaboration with Tsoi/Kobus & Associates of Cambridge, Massachusetts designed the new research facility, which was built by The Jackson Laboratory, a nonprofit research institution based in Maine and with facilities in California as well. It is a designated National Cancer Institute research center.

Emblematic of Connecticut’s aspirations in the biosciences, the $135 million Jackson Laboratory opened in October at ceremonies attended by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and other distinguished guests. The 183,500-square-foot building is set on a 16-acre site adjacent to the University of Connecticut Health Center Campus and houses state-of-the-art laboratories where scientists analyze the human genome for new treatments for cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes and other daunting diseases.

Among the credits that contributed to the Gold rating are all six points in the category of “Innovation and Design Process” as well as points for optimizing energy performance, using sustainably harvested wood, low-emitting and regional materials, and water-efficient landscaping.

While JAX was being built, on time and on budget, Centerbrook also was designing a number of other science and research projects, among them an addition and renovations to the UConn School of Medicine, the new UConn Health Center Outpatient Pavilion, a new DNA Learning Center for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and a new Academic Laboratory Building for Southern Connecticut State University.