Yale’s Sterling Hall of Medicine (SHM) C3 Laboratory is a 16,300 square foot research space for the Department of Genetics. The renovation process took place in 2005 and created four new, large open-design laboratories to be shared among the six investigators on the floor. New offices and common support facilities were included for department faculty, staff, fellows, students, and associated faculty from other departments. The sustainable design features incorporated during the renovation process earned the new space a LEED Commercial Interior (CI) Gold rating, the first CI Gold rating in the country awarded to a laboratory. Some of these design features are highlighted below.

Site and Transportation
The SHM C3 Lab is located within a building which is situated in a dense urban area with close proximity to public amenities. The building exists within a half a mile of residential neighborhoods, half a mile of ten basic services, and a quarter of a mile of five bus lines and a rail station. In addition, Yale parking strategies discourage automobile use by providing alternative solutions such as public transportation and car and van pooling.

Water Management
Efficient use of water is an important feature of the lab. Designers incorporated low-flow fixtures to maximize water conservation, resulting in a 24% annual reduction in potable water use. Restrooms and break rooms use 34.78% less water than base line fixture performance and laboratories use 30% less water than baseline fixture performance.

Energy and Atmosphere
In keeping with Yale’s greenhouse gas reduction goals, energy conservation is a main focus of any new project. Daylight responsive controls and occupancy sensors tied to lighting are used to reduce electrical loads. Ninety percent of office equipment and all appliances are “Energy Star” rated. The new space also incorporates new temperature control systems with set points that allow for individual increases and decreases along with central plant monitoring. In addition, no CFC-based refrigerants are used in the lab.

Indoor Environmental Quality
High indoor environmental quality contributes to the well-being and productivity of a building’s occupants. Features of the C3 laboratory, ranging from positioning of the workstations to materials used in construction, all contribute to the excellent indoor environmental quality of the space. The project meets the highest standards for air quality (ASHRAE 62.1-2004). This is a result of having air ventilation rates that are 88% above the most stringent standards; materials that emit low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including adhesives, sealants, paints, carpets, composite wood, and systems furniture and seating. Lighting design and controls including task lighting, multi-level controls, and occupancy sensors, allow occupants to have maximum control while reducing energy use for lighting. Within the lab, 86% of all regularly occupied spaces utilize the availability of natural daylight and 85% of regularly occupied seated spaces have direct line of sight to the outdoors.

Materials and Resources
To minimize the environmental impact of the project, all aspects of the design and construction process are carefully considered, including the full life cycle of all materials used.

96% of the wood products used in construction are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

22% of the total values of all materials are rapidly renewable, which means that they have a 10 year or shorter harvesting cycle.

21% of the building materials were manufactured regionally.

14% of the total values of all materials (combined post consumer and half pre-consumer) are recycled.

85% of demolition and construction waste was diverted from landfill.

To promote recycling by lab occupants, built-in recycling collection locations are provided.