The Environmental Studies Center was the first of a series of primarily concrete buildings constructed in the 1970s on the southern edge of the Western Washington University (WWU) campus. It was built on a slightly sloping site from north to south. The shape of the construction is determined by elevation changes, variously sized windows, and differently articulated blocks, while materiality and design are characterized by the use of board-marked raw concrete in combination with exposed large, colorful heating and ventilating pipes that wind their way up the interior through the five-story atrium. 

In good condition. The Environmental Sciences Building has undergone periodic maintenance since its original construction, and the character of the original building remains largely intact today (as of September 2023). Still, a greenhouse contained within the building was converted to office space in the mid-1990s, which unfortunately proved later to be either too hot or too cold, depending on the season. The university is planning renovations that will involve replacing mechanical systems and upgrading labs, classrooms and offices. An addition is also in the planning stages.