Academic Facilities

Four buildings on campus offer well-equipped teaching labs, research rooms, a molecular lab, an aquatics facility, and seminar space — all available to visiting researchers and classes by reservation.

Reservations & availability Email hbs@wcu.edu to check availability and reserve a room. Individual room rates apply per building as listed below.

William Chambers Coker Laboratory

The academic centre of HBS, named in honour of distinguished botanist and mycologist William Chambers Coker of UNC-Chapel Hill, 2nd Director of HBS (1935–1945). Built in 1958 with NSF support and comprehensively renovated in 2013, the Coker Lab offers well-equipped research and instructional space, the E. E. Reinke Library, the HBS Herbarium and other collections, and a seminar room.

Per room

$25

/ day

Email hbs@wcu.edu to check availability

Seminar room in the W. C. Coker Laboratory with tables and projector

Seminar Room

Seats 20 with tables · up to 30 without

Lectures · Meetings · Seminars

Projector, whiteboard

Coker Room 104 — microscopy and lecture lab

Coker Room 104

Seats 8 for labs · 12 for lectures

Lectures · Microscopy Labs

Sink, cabinets, pull-down power cords, whiteboard

GIS Lab in the Coker Laboratory with projector and 50-inch display

GIS Lab

Seats 10–16

Lecture Classes · Meetings

Projector, whiteboard, 50″ flat-screen TV, map collection

Research Lab in the Coker Building with environmental chamber and DI water system

Research Lab

5–6 research stations

Small Visiting Research Groups

Environmental chamber, DI water filtration system, fume hood

Teaching Lab in the Coker Laboratory with 12 stations and video-microscope system

Teaching Lab

12 stations

Lab-Based Classes

Projector, whiteboard, fume hood, video-microscope system

Research offices in the Coker Building — semi-private space for visiting researchers

Research Offices

Seats 2–3

Visiting Researchers · Instructors

Cabinets, sink; microscopes available on request

Bruce Biodiversity Building

Renovated in 2007 with NSF support. The ground floor functions as a teaching and general lab space with a small kitchenette. The upper floor houses the Treehouse Molecular Lab — a well-equipped space for DNA/RNA extraction, quantification, PCR, visualisation, cloning, and more.

Per floor

$20

/ day

Email hbs@wcu.edu to check availability

Ground-floor classroom in the Bruce Biodiversity Building

Classroom

Seats 12 for labs · up to 20 for lectures

Lectures · Meetings · Seminars · Microscopy Labs

Projector, whiteboard, video-microscope system, kitchenette (sink, fridge, microwave)

Treehouse Molecular Lab on the upper floor of the Bruce Biodiversity Building

Treehouse Molecular Lab

~8 seats

Molecular Ecology Research · Small Classes

DNA/RNA extraction, quantification, PCR, visualisation, cloning. Email us for a full equipment list.

Maintenance Shop & Aquatics Lab

The utility building at HBS houses a well-equipped maintenance and fabrication shop with full carpentry equipment — available for constructing research apparatus such as experimental enclosures and traps. It also houses the HBS Aquatics Laboratory, newly renovated and expanded in 2019–2020 with NSF support.

Access to the Maintenance Shop must be coordinated with our Maintenance Supervisor upon arrival.

Aquatics lab

$20

/ day

Email hbs@wcu.edu to check availability

HBS Aquatics Lab with four research stations, fridge, and sink

Aquatics Lab

4 stations

Small Aquatic Ecology Research Groups & Classes

Fridge, sink

Tank Room with six 140-gallon Living Streams with chillers

Tank Room

6 tanks

Aquatic Ecology Studies

Six 140-gallon Living Streams with chillers, shelving for smaller tanks

Clark Foreman Museum (Highlands Nature Center)

The historic Clark Foreman Museum is a WPA building completed in 1941. It houses the Highlands Nature Center, where regional natural history and conservation is interpreted for the public through exhibits, programmes, and special events. Limited research space is available on the lower level.

Research space

Limited availability

Email hbs@wcu.edu to enquire

For Nature Center programmes and schedule, visit the Nature Center page. Research enquiries for lower-level space should be directed to hbs@wcu.edu.

Ready to reserve?

Email us to check availability, confirm pricing, and book a room or building. Facilities are available to HBS researchers, visiting classes, and invited groups.

Email hbs@wcu.edu View Research Equipment