JCVI La Jolla: Sustainable Laboratory Facility

First Net-Zero Energy, Carbon-Neutral Biological Laboratory

J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) is a not-for-profit research institute located in La Jolla, California and Rockville, Maryland. JCVI leads the world in genomics research with new programs to improve understanding in the areas of genomic medicine, infectious disease, plant, microbial and environmental genomics, synthetic biology and biological energy, and bioinformatics.

JCVI’s commitment to environmental stewardship initiated the challenge to the building's architects to design and construct the first net-zero energy, carbon-neutral biological laboratory building for the Institute’s new West Coast home on the campus of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

The Institute’s unique design melds the environmental philosophies of our genomics research with the sustainability goals that, I believe, must be part of all of our lives. We had several things in mind with the design of the building, and one is that in biology form and function go together.

— J. Craig Venter

The building is now a reality and the first of its kind. It contains some of the most innovative water and energy-efficient systems available, and, most importantly, is serving as a model for sustainable research buildings worldwide. This project also represents the seamless integration of scientific vision, purpose, and technology; it explores the ideal physical relationship between experimentalists and computational biologists to address their diverse research functions.