Cornell University Riley Robb Hall Biofuels Research Lab

Riley-Robb Hall is home to Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Engineering and the Northeast Sun Grant Institute of Excellence. Working closely with Institute director Dr. Larry Walker, a leading researcher in ethanol production, SWBR transformed the Hall’s existing agricultural engineering power and machinery lab into a cutting-edge cellulosic biofuels research facility. The execution involved careful phasing, with construction of surge space integral to the design. A series of garage bays were customized to provide necessary high-bay space and general-purpose wet labs were built to accommodate experimental processes. A vibration isolation floor structure and extensive data sensor network support and monitor the production cycle. A new mechanical penthouse serves both Biofuels and Soil & Water Research and is expandable for future growth. The LEED-Gold certified Lab, the first Cornell renovation to earn LEED certification, brings all the major steps required to make biofuel under a single roof according to Dr. Walker. “Other schools have bits and pieces of the process or specialize in pre-treatment, chemical conversion or cell wall analysis. In this lab, we can do it all.”