Building Information
| Property Number | 1263 | LEED Status | Silver |
| Address | 1800 EAST-WEST Road | Campus Map | Map |
| Year Built | 2020 | ‘Ili | Puahia |
| Gross Square Feet | 95090 | Building Signage | – |
| Abbreviation | LSB | Floor Plan | Access Floor Plan |
| Building Zone | – | CAD/BIM Drawing | – |
| Hours of Operation | – | Arts & Culture | – |
| Parking Information | Parking map | Building Coordinator | – |
About
The Isabella Aiona Abbott Life Sciences Building is one of the newest on campus, beginning construction in 2017 and opening for instruction in Fall 2020. The building replaces Henke Hall in McCarthy Mall as the University’s first major design-build project. Renamed in 2023, the Life Sciences Building commemorates Kanaka ʻŌiwi scholar and influential member of the UH scientific community Isabella Aiona Abbott, also known as the “First Lady of Limu” for her research on over 200 algae. The facility serves both the School of Life Sciences and the Pacific Biosciences Research Center with six teaching and 15 research laboratories.
Additional Information
Historical:
Originally called the Life Sciences Building, it was renamed the Isabella Aiona Abbott Life Sciences Building in 2023 due to community demand: over 3,000 petition signatures, along with advocacy efforts from numerous student and faculty organizations, including UH Mānoa Native Hawaiian Student Services.
In honor of Isabella Aiona Abbott, the name recognizes her accomplishments as the first Kānaka Maoli woman to earn a Ph.D. in the sciences (botany), as well as her groundbreaking work Pacific marine algae. As an ethnobotanist, she contributed to the discovery and research of over 200 algae, which earned her the nickname the “First Lady of Limu.”
The Isabella Aiona Abbott Life Sciences Building takes the place of former Henke Hall. Completed in 1956, Henke Hall was named for Professor Louis Albert Henke who worked in Animal Sciences. Before its demolition in 2017, Henke Hall served the Animal Sciences, Food Science and Human Nutrition, and Agricultural Biochemistry departments.
In 2022, the Life Sciences Building received the Nonprofit Project Award at the 25th annual Kukulu Hale Awards hosted by Hawai’i’s chapter of NAIOP, a commercial real estate development association. This award honors achievement in the commercial real estate industry and recognizes the opportunities for research and collaboration that the state-of-the-art facility will allow.
Sustainability:
The Isabella Aiona Abbott Life Sciences Building has an LEED certification of Silver. It was developed on a brownfield site with remediated soil. Construction waste was diverted to landfills or incineration facilities, and used low-emitting materials. Bioretention basins treat stormwater runoff, and plumbing fixtures are low-flow. Wall and roof insulations exceed ASHRAE minimum requirements which are paired with occupancy sensors and occupancy controls for lighting and thermal comfort. Additionally, the building has a high efficiency water-cooled centrifugal chiller, a gas water heater with 96% thermal efficiency, and increased outdoor air ventilation.
Departments
- N/A
Colleges
- School of Life Sciences
Common Spaces
- Study Lounge (1F)
Related UH Links
- UH News: BOR approves naming Life Sciences Building after ‘First Lady of Limu’, January 19, 2023.
- UH News: PV umbrellas provide shade, power at Life Sciences, September 6, 2022.
- UH News: Life Sciences Building ushers in new era at UH Mānoa, June 22, 2020.
- UH News: Milestone in innovative Life Sciences building project, January 9, 2017.
Resources
- Coming soon