The Greer Environmental Sciences Center is a collaborative, student-centered learning environment with flexible space for undergraduate research that goes beyond the typical discipline boundaries. The 40,000-square-foot facility sits at the south end of the Virginia Wesleyan University’s academic lawn and completes the main quad, serving as a cornerstone of the school’s environmental sciences program. Page’s lab planning team provided lab programming, planning and design services for the building, which was designed by VMDO Architects.

The facility houses four large teaching labs, dedicated to the disciplines of ecology and marine biology, earth science, atmosphere / oceanography / hydrology and analytical chemistry. Research labs include an aquatics center, trace element analysis clean room and environmental imaging suite with SEM, confocal and other microscopes. Other labs house nutrient analysis, geology and hydrology programs. Research is supported by spaces for freezers, lab storage, field equipment storage, sample processing space, instrumentation labs, a temperature-controlled environmental room and chemical storage.

Geographic information systems allow users to map, model, analyze and query large amounts of special or geographical data. Lecture rooms include a 50-person, tiered lecture room located on the east wing, two 36-person classrooms, two 20-person seminar rooms and a geographic information system classroom. Study spaces available to students of all majors are located throughout the center.

One of the many goals of this facility is to provide a space for regional institutions to come together in a collaborative research effort and provide an opportunity to enhance partnerships with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Virginia Aquarium and Virginia Institute of Marine Science.