Founded by Professor of Architecture G.Z. Brown, affectionately known as Charlie, ESBL was officially established in the 1980’s. Starting years before, Charlie’s desire for a sustainable, energy efficient shift in the field of architecture was underway at the University of Oregon. He gathered a team of architects, faculty, students, and engineers to help design sustainable buildings, study light, comfort, and retrofit inefficient buildings on campus and throughout the Northwest.

As ESBL grew, our scope grew too. With the help of our collaborating labs, The Center for Biology in the Built Environment, The Baker Lighting Lab, and the Institute for Health in the Built Environment, we design everything from affordable energy efficient housing to specialized building testing tools. We employ and educate students at the University of Oregon about the broad field of sustainable design. We research human comfort, test which materials are best for people and the environment, how to use daylight to illuminate buildings naturally, and much more. Many of the buildings on the University of Oregon campus have been designed or redesigned with guidance from the ESBL team. 

We are constantly working with the newest building technologies, and solving real-world environmental problems. Currently, ESBL is testing buildings for COVID-19 and researching how to design buildings and systems to reduce viral spread, and keep occupants safe.