The function of the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics is to conduct pioneering research into fundamental questions of biology by integrating the perspectives and analytical tools of molecular biology, chemistry, physics, and computer analysis. To help achieve these goals, the Carl Icahn Laboratory, among the first fully integrated labs in America, was designed to unite researchers from a variety of disciplines and encourage a free exchange of thoughts and findings.

The facility has a large central atrium at its heart, a social place where researchers and students can meet in formal and informal conference areas, sparking the impromptu discussions that lead to collaboration and new research paths. The atrium looks onto a large, ellipse-shaped campus quad through a curved, two-story glass curtain wall that introduces natural light deep into the center of the building. In order to minimize thermal loading on the mechanical systems, a series of thirty-one 40-foot-tall (12.2-meter), computer-controlled aluminum louvers track the movement of the sun to provide optimal shading to the south-facing curtain wall at all times, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow in the atrium throughout the day.

The “loftlike” laboratories are arranged along the north and eastern elevations of the building. With open-floor plans, modular partitions, 12-foot-high (3.6-meter) ceilings, interstitial mechanical stories, and demountable casework and lab benches, the laboratories are designed for maximum flexibility over time, since research needs change to keep up with the pace of genomic science. Clerestory windows introduce abundant daylight into the laboratories and faculty offices, creating a welcoming research environment.

With a significant outdoor pedestrian route passing between the louvers and curtain wall, and with cladding designed as a transition between the architecture of the university’s science facilities and its more traditional stone structures, the new building is fully integrated into the campus.