The building of the laboratory began in 1913 and was finished in 1916 to the designs of Paul Waterhouse, the contractors being Armitage and Hodgson of Leeds. Funding came in part from C. W. Dyson Perrins of Queen's College. In 1920–22 an eastern wing was added as contemplated in the original design, this was followed in 1934 by an extension for medical students and in 1940–41 a new brick wing to the north was built.
Research in organic chemistry at Oxford is now conducted across South Parks Road at the University's state-of-the-art Chemistry Research Laboratory. The majority of the building has been handed over to the Oxford University Geography Department for the establishment of the Oxford University Centre for the Environment (OUCE).