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Vagelos Innovation Labs

Delivering science and sustainability at New York’s first all-electric research lab.

Location

  • New York, USA

Client

  • Columbia University

Architect

  • KPF

Project Status

  • In construction

Completion timeframe

  • Opening 2026

Certifications

  • LEED Gold Targeted

Columbia University is constructing a new academic research lab building, intentionally designed to use significantly less energy than similar buildings of its kind. The all-electric innovation center will expand the research capacity at Columbia’s Irving Medical Center, providing critical space for 30 principal investigators and support staff.

But biomedical laboratories are notoriously energy intensive buildings and inherently challenging to decarbonize. Achieving this goal had to be rooted in strong motivations and delivered through collaborative technical excellence.

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Credit: KPF

Carbon reduction
30%
Square feet
77,000

Ahead of the curve

New York City’s Local Law 97 aims to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by setting carbon caps for large buildings. The law rolled out just before Columbia’s new Innovation Lab project began and inspired the team to chart a path to zero emissions not only for the lab itself, but also for two existing buildings on the block, thus reducing the overall operational cost and emissions on campus.

The building’s all-electric design ensures that no new fossil fuel services are used, aside from emergency power backup — solutions that highlight Columbia University’s commitment to reducing carbon.

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Credit: KPF

The electric mechanical system, paired with other sustainable solutions, led to a design that outperforms emission limits set by Local Law 97 and Columbia University’s Plan 2030 greenhouse gas reduction goals by as much as 30%. The building is also designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Gold certification for its inclusion of sustainable building practices.

Cold climate challenges

As an all-electric research lab building in a cold climate, the building presented a particular challenge given high heating loads brought on by the ventilation requirements of the building’s lab programming. In response, heating and cooling are handled by electric air source heat pumps that allow for energy recovery between the heating and cooling fluids to provide periods of free tempering during the year. Further, air-side energy recovery systems leverage waste heat to reduce the total energy needed to condition the building.

We developed innovative engineering strategies to take full advantage of heat pump and energy recovery technologies to make sure every kilowatt introduced to the building is used to its fullest potential.

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Credit: KPF

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Credit: KPF

Prioritizing connections

The new eight-story facility creates a unified academic and research experience, deepened by its connection to both the Columbia University School of Nursing and Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion. The building’s design introduces a variety of collaboration spaces, areas dedicated to community engagement and street-level connections that put science on display.

The design process set the tone for connection and collaboration with early charettes that emphasized the importance of the mechanical engineering solutions in reaching decarbonization and energy goals. Together, our experts set energy targets and mapped out a way to get there, with mechanical system needs informing the façade, envelope and building design in response.

Once open for research, the Vagelos Innovation Laboratories will stand as a testament to sustainability and collaboration.

It is always rewarding to work with institutions like Columbia University to progress their ambitious energy and climate goals. Working on projects that are a "first" of any kind, like Columbia's first all-electric building and New York's first all-electric academic research lab, presents an exciting challenge for the design team. Collaborating to provide the right design is the best part of the job.

Other challenges that we have overcome

Banner credit: KPF