The Yale Science Building (YSB) is a LEED Gold-certified, modern, flexibly planned research facility that brings together the molecular, cellular, and developmental biology departments, with portions of the molecular biophysics and biochemistry, physics, and Quantitative Biology Institute programs. Completed in 2019, the seven-story building accommodates approximately 550 researchers and occupies the former footprint of the Gibbs Laboratory, transforming the top of Science Hill.

The 282,000-square-foot facility includes state-of-the-art laboratories, offices, advanced imaging suites designed for vibration-sensitive equipment, specialized aquatics and insect research laboratories, a 500-seat auditorium, and a rooftop greenhouse supporting plant research.

The project also included a glass-enclosed pavilion connecting YSB to the existing Kline Tower. Constructed atop a one-story portion of Kline Tower, the pavilion serves as the public face of Science Hill and a central, year-round gathering space for the campus community. In addition, the pavilion serves as a wind barrier, significantly improving occupant comfort in the exterior Commons, which is framed by the YSB, Kline Tower, Sterling, Gibbs, and Bass buildings.

Key engineering features include:

• Below grade physics wing designed to achieve VC-E vibration performance
• Roof structure over the physics wing engineered to support substantial loads from the landscaped Commons above
• Flexible laboratory structural systems accommodating multiple research typologies
• Vibration-controlled laboratories supporting sensitive scientific equipment
• Prefabricated structural frames supporting primary mechanical, electrical, and plumbing shaft units and distribution systems

Read more about Yale's Science Hill reinvention in this Civil Engineering feature, Highlight on the Hill.