Northwest Corner Building

Recognizing a need for additional space that better meets the scientific challenges of the 21st century, Columbia University built a new science building on its historic Morningside Heights campus in Manhattan. The new 14-story facility houses 21 cutting-edge laboratories that gather together researchers in biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. The facility provides safe and secure pedestrian access to and from the campus and from the new Manhattanville campus to the north.

The labs maximize flexibility and accommodate vibration-sensitive equipment. Communal research facilities for biological sciences and nanotechnology include cold rooms, sterilizing rooms, and clean rooms. The new building also has a science library, lecture hall, and café.

Salas O’Brien provided commissioning services for this LEED Gold-certified building, which is particularly noteworthy due to the numerous laboratories, which typically consume a great deal of energy.