Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Completes Construction on Energy Sciences Center

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory completed construction in early 2022 on the $90 million Energy Sciences Center in Richland, Wash. Designed by Kirksey Architecture, the 138,000-gsf facility features 52 modular labs for fundamental research in chemistry, materials science, and computing. Accelerating the discovery of new energy, transportation, and manufacturing technologies, the state-of-the-art building includes an NMR spectroscopy suite and four imaging labs for advanced electron microscopy. An interstitial utility corridor accommodates streamlined lab services while reducing disruptions to active research areas. Offering sophisticated conference rooms and open interaction zones, the collaborative structure also provides office space for approximately 250 PNNL staff and visiting investigators.

The sustainably designed center is illuminated by natural light and utilizes a waste-heat recovery system that harvests energy generated by high-performance computers in an adjacent facility. Arup provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering services. Harvey Cleary Builders began work on the project in March of 2020.