Manhattan’s National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) was recognized for sustainable design and development with a recent certification.
The $1.25 billion federal biocontainment lab was given a Gold certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, having exceeded expectations for sustainable development.
NBAF is the first such American facility to receive a LEED Gold certification, a program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
NBAF Program Manager Timothy Barr says labs like this can be very energy intensive, and designing efficient systems with sustainability in mind allows them to be good stewards of public resources.
“We’re excited about what this facility can achieve not only for our partners and the agricultural defense mission, but also in terms of sustainability,” says Barr. “This certification provides peace of mind that certain efficiencies are already built into the facility’s long-term operating costs.”
NBAF’s construction is slated to wrap up this year.
