This carefully planned extension structure was erected on the campus of University College Dublin for the Virus Reference Laboratory (VRL). Situated in an exposed position above a lake, the building had to assert itself against the existing 1960s’ developments and also respond to the landscape. The proportions of the restrained structure lend it a powerful presence. Its light wooden skin forms a contrast to the brick and stone facades of the existing buildings. Bays of vertical and horizontal red cedar boarding alternate with glazed openings, which are shaded at some points by sliding timber gratings. Slight variations between the plane of the facade and these elements help to enliven the outer appearance.