Duke University Marine Laboratory

Beaufort, North Carolina, USA

Architects: GLUCK+

Year: 2014

The Dr. Orrin H. Pilkey Research Laboratory is a new state-of-the-art, LEED Gold marine science research building for Duke University Marine Laboratory on Pivers Island. Designed to the highest environmental and sustainable standards, it incorporates design solutions to address hurricane force winds, sea level rise, and storm surge concerns.

The first floor contains a collaborative "Collisional Commons", surrounded by faculty offices, a PhD bullpen, teaching lab, video conference room and service spaces. Clad in wood and large expanses of glass, it reflects the architecture of the original campus quad built in the 1930s while opening up dramatic views to the coast. The second floor is a 'laboratory loft' that houses equipment-intensive research spaces, and features an elevated deck with views to downtown Beaufort and surrounding islands. Protected by a modern panelized system, it conveys the scientific and forward-thinking research taking place within.