VT Agriculture & Environmental Lab

State of Vermont

Department of Environmental Conservation

Located on a bucolic hillside on the Vermont Tech campus, the mission of the Vermont Agriculture and Environmental Laboratory (VAEL) is to monitor and protect countless aspects of Vermont’s natural environment.

The state’s prior lab in Waterbury was destroyed by the intense flooding that followed Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. After spending years in makeshift labs around the state, the all-new facility sets the standard for scientific research and analysis in Vermont.

The building supports multiple functions for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, including chemistry testing labs, a weights and measures unit, an animal pathology lab with necropsy suite, a forest biology unit, a biology area with a BSL 2+ lab, and ample office and meeting space for employees and visitors.

The project was a collaborative effort between Freeman French Freeman and Cannon Design of Boston, MA.