At the WPI-MANA Building, MANA researchers intermingle with researchers from universities and research institutes and engineers from Japanese and foreign companies as they conduct world-class materials and nanotechnology research. The building is disaster-resistant and equipped with energy-saving and CO2-reducing technology. Various measures have been taken to create a Melting Pot environment within the building, thereby promoting interdisciplinary research.

The building received the rank of S, the highest possible rating, from CASBEE, a tool for assessing and rating the environmental performance of buildings.

The WPI-MANA Building employs the latest technologies, including a photocatalytic glass watering system, solar panels and sun louvers. Temperature, humidity and brightness are all controlled automatically to achieve energy efficiency while ensuring comfort.

The Cafeteria on the first floor and the Interaction Spaces on the second through fifth floors provide opportunities for casual exchange, and partitions have been used as little as possible in the offices and labs to create comfortable research spaces and stimulate various kinds of communication.

By linking solar panels, emergency generators and storage batteries into a network, MANA was the first institution in Japan to adopt a microgrid. The microgrid will provide seamless power to key facilities even if power is interrupted during a disaster. Even during long power outages, the solar panels and storage batteries can supply the necessary minimum amount of power.
Under normal circumstances when various equipment is in operation, the system has a peak output of 90kW.