The University of West Florida commemorates the grand opening of the new Lab Sciences Annex as part of the Hal Marcus Science and Engineering Department. The new STEM facility is a 52,790 SF 3-story structure designed to provide a state-of-the-art teaching and research facility for their students and faculty.
A total of 12 teaching laboratories are included, consisting of 8 biology labs and 4 chemistry labs. Shell space for the build-out of 6 future labs are also provided, along with faculty offices, conference / classrooms and multiple student breakout / common use areas. The new Laboratory Annex is an addition to their existing 40-year-old wet lab building, which in the future will be converted into classrooms, offices, and additional research laboratories.
The Annex establishes an important new identity for the Biology and Chemistry departments. With a prominent entry on the central campus green, it helps create a vibrant complex of buildings that frame an active and highly developed courtyard. Caldwell Associates partnered with world class lab designers Perkins + Will to bring the most innovative thinking in wet lab design to Northwest Florida – creating a facility that not only provides students and faculty with the practical tools for learning, but also an environment that fosters student interaction, education, and development.