Vertical expansion of research facility earns LEED Silver certification
Sustainable design of BJC Institute of Health building on the medical campus recognized with environmental award
Sam FentressExterior image of the Steven & Susan Lipstein BJC Institute of Health building at WashU Medicine. The building’s vertical expansion recently earned LEED Silver certification in recognition of its sustainable design.
Imagine erecting a six-floor addition atop an existing 692,500 square foot building, amid a bustling medical campus in a lively urban center.
Now, imagine tackling that engineering and design feat while making it as environmentally friendly as possible.
That’s just what the WashU Medicine Enterprise Physical Operations, Infrastructure, Capital Programs and Real Estate planning, projects & programs team achieved.
The vertical expansion of the Steven & Susan Lipstein BJC Institute of Health building at WashU Medicine, completed in June 2025, recently received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in recognition of its sustainable design and sustainability features. Buildings that achieve this recognition must meet stringent criteria in categories such as energy efficiency, water conservation and the optimization of the environmental performance of the building’s products and materials.
During design and construction, the team took into account factors such as water-efficient landscaping, optimized energy performance and the use of low-toxin-emitting materials to reduce the “new building smell” and improve indoor air quality. The university-wide recycling and ride-sharing programs also contributed to its success.
The original BJC Institute of Health opened in December 2009. In 2022, work began on the six-floor, 159,378-square-foot expansion, providing much-needed laboratory space that has enabled WashU Medicine to further advance its research and clinical missions.
The Ellen S. Clark Hope Plaza at the foot of the BJC Institute of Health is slated to reopen in the summer of 2026.
