ETH Zurich stands for Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology). The Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-​BSSE) in Basel is dedicated to research in life sciences. The building, designed by Kubota & Bachmann Architects, is conceived as an efficient and flexible architectural device. Organised around a vertical atrium, provides a source of natural daylight crossing the whole building from east to west, creating multiple visual connections between different levels. In the laboratories, the choice of materials was made prioritising easy cleaning, durability and simplicity: continuous rubber flooring (Dharma and Dharma ANT48 with PC10 surface treatment), no ceiling to facilitate the access to installations for maintenance and evolutions, white paint on the walls and pipes, multi-layer wood for the furniture, and waterproof lighting panels with adjustable fluorescent tubes.