The 408,600-square-foot, 13-story building is home to nine floors of basic science research labs with lab support functions, one floor dedicated to a vivarium for small animals, a main level conference center, two floors for a mechanical/data center, and two floors of subgrade parking. The building physically interconnects with MD Anderson Basic Sciences Research Building at the 3rd floor through a horizontal walkway. The front of the building features a unique tower design that rotates four degrees each floor as it rises, mimicking a DNA strand. The design was constructed with twisting concrete double helix columns with slab edges strategically rotated on each ascending floor. The design is highly efficient, creating a daylight harvesting system that provides 98.5% daylight to all regularly occupied spaces. The LEED Gold certified structure uses an advanced environmental monitoring system to continually monitor contamination levels and automatically adjust air changes accordingly. This system is critical to the success of each research lab which requires varying air quality levels and reduces energy utilization by 35% compared to traditional lab buildings. Equipment corridors are at the center of each research floor, resulting in open lab spaces with lower noise levels. The labs were constructed with concrete moment frames that provided higher ceilings and plenum space that further enhanced the efficiency of the air quality system.