The Scientist’s Guide to Designing a Sustainable Laboratory

Laboratory design determines the performance of science within a building, the resources used in construction, its future consumption of water, energy, and benchtop utilities, and its lifetime generation of greenhouse gases. Informed selection of materials, dimensions, and mechanical systems can reduce the demand for resources to begin with, then deliver additional resources most efficiently. This chapter addresses the audience of a principal investigator to lay out many of the options and strategies presently available at large and small scales, from benchtop to rooftop. The collaboration of design professionals with research and science occupants is essential to correctly plan the structure and systems in the building.