The 92,000 square foot Carl C. Icahn Laboratory is the home of the Institute of Integrative Genomics at Princeton University. The project includes laboratories, a large atrium/ lobby, offices, lecture hall, projection theater and other amenities of modern education. The Atrium is enclosed by a glass curtain wall; the slatted vertical louvers running the length of the glass wall are synchronized to track the movement of the sun in the southern sky. The louvers rotation throughout the day keeps them at the optimal angle for shading the interior of the Institute, while also limiting the thermal loading on the building’s cooling systems. The southern orientation allows the louvers to accomplish their task without ever fully obscuring the view. Acentech recommended an absorptive ceiling to ensure that the Atrium would be an acoustically pleasing space as well.

The rectangular design of the lab floors accommodates the facility’s requirement for long-term flexibility so the building contains loft-like open plans with full interstitial spaces, movable lab benches, and easily configurable partition. Acentech concentrated on sound isolation measures and mechanical system noise and vibration control for the labs. In contrast to the flexibility of the lab design, the conference and meeting components of the program were very specific. These include a small conference room, and a large oval area that contains a lecture and projection theater for which Acentech provided audiovisual and sound system designs.