The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine was designed to be sophisticated enough to entice internationally acclaimed scientists, bold enough to symbolize the state of Connecticut’s commitment to advanced research, yet practical enough for an economic nonprofit organization serious about its mission.
Photography: Derek Hayn
Photography: Robert Benson
Photography: Robert Benson
Centerbrook Architects & Planners in collaboration with Tsoi/Kobus & Associates of Cambridge, Massachusetts, designed the $135 million research facility. A nonprofit research institution based in Maine and with facilities in California as well, JAX has a staff of 1,400 professionals nationwide and is a designated National Cancer Institute research center.
Opened in 2014, the 189,000-square-foot JAX building is set on a 17-acre site adjacent to the UConn Health campus. It houses state-of-the-art laboratories where more than 300 biomedical researchers, technicians and support staff will probe the human genome for new treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and other daunting diseases.

The building includes 17 “wet” biology labs and another 17 “dry” computational science labs, along with scientific service areas. The labs are clustered in large open suites to encourage collaboration among scientists and technicians, and to enable spaces to be reconfigured quickly and easily as research programs grow or evolve.

At the building’s entrance, visitor...