As a leading research institution, the University of Georgia is executing sweeping renovations across multiple buildings to ready its science and laboratory facilities for decades of continued innovation. National design firm Cooper Carry’s Science + Technology Studio led the revamp of Phase I of the former Chemistry Building that is part of UGA’s Science Hill complex. Now Cedar Street Building C, the facility serves as an interdisciplinary, future-forward research environment to support the development of critical studies. 

With a goal to promote cross-collaboration between complementary research teams, the reimagined Cedar Street Building C houses the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ entomology departments and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ microbiology and cellular biology departments. The purpose of the building has been narrowed to focus solely on research, with academic instruction taking place at the nearby Science Center. This specification strengthens UGA’s operational efficiency within its research division. 

The Cooper Carry design team, led by Mark Jensen and Markus Wilms, consulted with the scientists who would eventually utilize the space to create bespoke laboratories around a uniform framework that facilitated key research needs. The building encompasses a variety of different spaces to be shared across disciplines, including open labs, insect containment facilities, walk-in environmental chambers, microscopy rooms and plant growth areas. 

“When the Science Hill complex was originally established, it was the catalyst for UGA to become an R1 university, the highest tier of research universities in the U.S., and it has supported innovative work for decades since,” said Mark Jensen, principal at Cooper Carry. “From its inception, Science Hill was envisioned to carry the university through new scientific and technological advances, so it was critical that the renovation embody this standard for long-term adaptability and resilience.” 

To retool the facility, the first step in the design strategy was to gut the entire interior footprint of building, leaving only the outside shell and structure remaining, which was restored separately by UGA. The existing building had an 11-foot floor-to-floor height, while a brand new lab building typically features a 15-foot floor-to-floor height. This size conflict required Cooper Carry to creatively adjust the lab infrastructure to work within the confines of the allotted space, essentially building “a ship in a bottle” given the complex nature of the task. 

One of the workarounds for integrating the modern lab infrastructure was to retain the original design of the shell, which features numerous chimney-style shafts, and install a chilled beam HVAC system that pumps water through the building instead of air. The chilled beam also has the benefit of taking up less space and being more energy efficient. Cooper Carry worked closely with MEP engineers Newcomb & Boyd, as well as Holder Construction to implement the new system. 

Jensen continued, “The typical complications that come with updating an old, inefficient building into a state-of-the-art research facility came into play with this project. We were committed to determining the most effective ways to improve functionality, while making the best use of the existing structural features.” 

The open labs were designed with limited walls to be highly flexible for research needs, depending on available funding, as well as to accommodate expansive multidisciplinary research. Highly specialized support labs – such as insect containment – sport special exhaust and security features. New faculty offices and administrative suites are also a feature of the rehab. In between corridors lined with research labs, soft spaces designed as collaboration zones offer dedicated areas for brainstorming sessions and small gatherings. 

Celebrating the building’s mid-century roots was a primary aspect of the design. Cooper Carry’s interior design team sought to bring back elements of that design period that had been slowly stripped away over the years. Fiberglass faux breeze blocks that were custom fabricated are dotted throughout the building, and perforated wood elements add warmth and soften acoustics.

Sustainability was prioritized at each stage of the renovation process. An embodied carbon analysis was conducted by Cooper Carry that found that 77% of the existing structure and enclosure was reused, conserving carbon equivalent to 1,041 cars being taken off the road annually. Other sustainable considerations included the installation of new, energy-efficient windows, use of polished concrete instead of vinyl tile, sourcing sustainable furniture and insulation of the building’s interior.

"The preservation of such a significant building on UGA's campus proved to be a complex undertaking, but in the same token, it was incredibly rewarding," said Markus Wilms, associate principal at Cooper Carry. "We are proud to have designed a well-equipped lab space where world-class researchers are able to brainstorm, collaborate and make life-changing new discoveries."

The project recently won a Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Award for Excellence in Sustainable Rehabilitation. Cooper Carry is now underway on Phase 2 of the Science Hill reimagining, with the team executing the renovation of the Biology Building.