Washington State University Life Sciences Building Strikes LEED Gold
By Fay Harvey
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Washington State University Vancouver’s Life Sciences Building recently achieved LEED Gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council, one of the highest honors in the green rating system used across the globe.
Completed in 2024, the $63.8 million Life Sciences Building is home to various disciplines from biology and chemistry to neurosciences and nursing. Filled with labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces and clinical health programs, the design was not only created with connectivity in mind, but also with an emphasis on sustainability in an homage to its surrounding topography.
“Given that the campus is located on the homelands of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and Peoples of the lower Columbia Valley, it’s important that we preserve habitat and create less waste,” said Jenny Chambers-Taube, vice chancellor for finance, operations and enrollment, in a statement. “Further, with the impacts of climate change, WSU Vancouver strives to reduce its carbon emissions, conserve water and use less energy.”
Built by Andersen Construction of Seattle and designed by Seattle-based architects SRG + Cannon Design, the 55,000-square-foot building implemented various sustainability strategies to achieve LEED Gold status.
The structure consists of steel and prefabricated mass plywood crafted from small trees and wood waste. A standing seam roof, supported by angled wood trusses, mirrors the silhouette of the neighboring Mount Saint Helens.
The construction materials—including those for the flooring, finishes, glazes and fiberglass windows—bring enhanced thermal performance and minimal embodied carbon, removing the need for excessive drywall and concrete. Inside, lighting fixtures are free of mercury, and water use is reduced with enhanced plumbing and smarter irrigation systems.
On the outside, the Life Sciences Building blends into the campus through its use of brick and metal paneling. A wall of doors opens onto an accessible plaza surrounded by lush greenery. The building’s entry corridors and covered porches are framed by wood and recessed into the building to protect against weather, while still holding space for gathering. Exposed plywood throughout the exterior and interior offers a biophilic aesthetic while also exemplifying the building’s integral sustainable elements
“The delivery of the Life Sciences Building was a real triumph,” said Laurie Canup, education practice leader at SRG + CannonDesign, in a statement. “The early involvement of all key players allowed the project to meet its goals—design, programming, function and more—resulting in a high-quality outcome that reflects the client’s vision and delivers a space that is both efficient and inspiring.”
The Life Sciences Building is the third building on WSU Vancouver’s campus to receive LEED gold certification, alongside the Undergraduate Classroom Building and the Engineering and Computer Science Building.