Why build a chemistry laboratory entirely of combustible WOOD?

Daily Mail (UK): Not so carbon neutral now! New eco-friendly £15million university laboratory built out of wood goes up in flames

• The Carbon Neutral Laboratory for Sustainable Chemistry at Nottingham University caught fire at 8.30pm Friday
• The £15million wooden structure has been completely destroyed in the blaze which needed 60 firefighters to control 
• Nottingham University held an open day for prospective undergraduates today despite the fire continuing to blaze
• Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said they expected the fire would continue for at least another 24 hours
• An investigation into the cause of the blaze has not yet started as the building is still too dangerous to examine 
• University Registrar Dr Paul Greatrix said the college would be working with its partners to rebuild the structure 
• At the height of the blaze people could see the flames from seven miles away across the city 

Complete story, video, and photos here.

Don’t try this at home…

…or at school, or at work, unless you know what you’re doing! For some surprisingly entertaining reading, Max Gergel offers a wealth of good reasons to exercise extreme caution in the planning, construction, and setup of procedures in chemistry facilities. Derek Lowe and John D. Clark offer many more.