After nearly two decades of being housed in the makeshift laboratories and offices of the basement level of the School, it became apparent that the Wiener laboratory could not continue without having an independent building designed especially for the laboratory’s needs. Hence plans were drawn up for a new laboratory and, in the fall of 2014 ground was broken on a new laboratory in the garden behind the Main Building with funding guaranteed by the Malcom H. Wiener Foundation.   The new laboratory will have sufficient and proper storage for temporary and permanent collections and materials to be analyzed, state-of-the-art laboratories for sampling and analyzing organic and inorganic materials, state-of-the-art analytical equipment, designated spaces for study and consultation (carrels and offices, library and computing facilities, seminar and meeting rooms), and administrative and support offices.