This one-story red soft brick building sits above a raised basement of projecting rough-faced sandstone, with sandstone and darker brick highlights. The roof is a combination of gable and hipped elements, forming a gablet in the rear. The vine-covered entry and ornate, colored glass window give the Queen Anne front facade an inviting, domestic aura.
The laboratory, which originally cost $3,900, was refurbished in 1894 for the Domestic Economy Department, then for the music conservatory. Since 1964 it has been office space. Behind is a potting shed, built from bricks salvaged from the original claim shanty (1874), which held the land until the Agricultural College could be built.