The thermal insulation and sun-blocking capacity of the two glass-roofed internal gardens make it possible for the building's external facades to consist largely of glass, without this being too detrimental in terms of energy requirement. The office wings have facades entirely made of wood framed units with a cladding of cement board. The masonry facades of the laboratory wing are stuccoed with coloured insulating plaster on the outside. The ostensibly random colour scheme on the facades acts as a kind of camouflage: the varying tints of grey, green and blue will make the building blend into its natural surroundings of vegetation, sky and clouds.