The concept of a “healthy building” resonated with the college, and consequently natural lighting and indoor air quality have emerged as areas of emphasis. A two-story slot coined the “lung” runs along an east-west axis between teaching labs and support spaces, bringing daylight into the interior zone and providing for natural ventilation of the spaces. Translucent acrylic panels incorporated into the enclosure of the lung transmit daylight to the interior, and a 140-foot long series of operable windows operated by a single mechanism constitutes the largest installation of its kind.

Computer modeling of the daylighting and CFD analysis of the ventilation provided an empirical basis for the design. This analysis led to the ventilation slot being divided to avoid thermal “interference” between adjoining zones. Monitoring devices for airflow and light levels have been incorporated to allow comparison to the simulation.