The unit features a central living area, nine single rooms, two family suites and a recreation room. This setting allows investigators to study the nutritional needs of pregnant women, mothers, adolescents, young children and infants in a controlled environment, and obtain precise study measurements.

An adjacent modern dietary kitchen is available for the preparation of foods for "live-in" and "live-at-home" study participants. This specialized kitchen ensures precise conditions during food preparation so that researchers can later determine the nutrients consumed by research volunteers.