Durable, Adaptable Surfaces at the Duke Chesterfield Lab Building

In research environments where flexibility, durability and long-term performance are critical, surface selection plays an important role in supporting day-to-day scientific work. At the Duke Chesterfield Lab Building in Durham, North Carolina, designers and facility leaders selected Trespa® TopLab® Plus Slate Grey Core surfaces to help create a multi-tenant laboratory environment capable of serving a wide range of research disciplines and users.

The 284,000 square foot facility houses collaborative laboratory and innovation spaces for organizations including the Duke Quantum Center, the Pratt School of Engineering Bioengineering Research Institute, Duke Proteomics and Metabolomics Shared Resource Labs and other research-focused tenants. Designed by LAS (Lord Aeck Sargent), the project brought together multiple stakeholders with differing operational needs, priorities and workflows under one roof.

The Chesterfield Lab Building also marked an important milestone as one of the first Trespa® TopLab® Plus Grey Core project completed in the United States.

Previously, Duke University had relied on epoxy resin laboratory surfaces throughout many of its facilities. Following initial construction using epoxy surfaces, the labs started to see oxidation within a relatively short amount of time. This led to a search for a more durable solution. After a successful installation of Trespa® TopLab® Plus at the university’s School of Engineering laboratories, the institution expanded the use of phenolic resin surfaces into the Chesterfield project, specifying 1-inch Trespa® TopLab® Plus in Slate Grey with a grey core throughout the building’s laboratory spaces.

The decision reflected a broader shift toward phenolic resin surfaces for modern laboratory environments. Compared to traditional epoxy resin tops, phenolic resin surfaces offer advantages including lighter weight, fabrication flexibility, impact resistance and simplified installation while also delivering superior chemical resistance and long-term durability for demanding research settings. Trespa® TopLab® surfaces are engineered with Electron Beam Curing (EBC) technology to create a closed, hygienic and easy-to-clean surface designed for scientific environments.

Trespa® TopLab® surfaces also are made with industry-leading renewable material composition. And because they are so durable, the panels last a long time, requiring fewer resources and carbon is stored longer. Durability is a sustainability feature!

Throughout the Chesterfield building, Trespa® TopLab® Plus surfaces were used across varied laboratory applications, helping create a cohesive appearance while supporting the unique needs of different tenants and research programs. The Slate Grey finish and matching grey core delivered a clean, monolithic aesthetic that aligned with the building’s modern research-focused design.

In addition to performance benefits, the surfaces supported the project’s emphasis on adaptability. The multi-floor facility was designed to accommodate evolving research initiatives and collaborative partnerships, making durable and reliable laboratory materials especially important.

Today, the Duke University Chesterfield Lab Building continues to serve as a hub for advanced research and innovation, demonstrating how thoughtfully specified laboratory surfaces can support both scientific performance and modern design expectations in higher education and research environments.

More information on Phenolic vs. Epoxy Resin Laboratory Surfaces: Phenolic vs. Epoxy Resin Countertops: A Performance Comparison for Commercial and Laboratory Spaces | Formica Group

 

Credits:

Featured Product: Trespa® TopLab® Plus Slate Grey Core

Architect/Designer: LAS (Lord Aeck Sargent – NC)

Photographer: Christian Cole