Sustainability

Harvard University opened HouseZero in December of 2018 in Cambridge, Mass. Acting as a living laboratory for sustainable design and construction, the project features a data-driven infrastructure with nearly 300 embedded sensors that produce 17 million data points in real time each day. Software informed by the house's sensors automatically opens and closes windows, circulating air through cross ventilation and convection flows. Algorithms informed by sensors optimize ventilation in relation to the house's mass, reducing the need for building systems almost entirely.

Cargill opened its $70 million protein headquarters in Wichita in December of 2018. Supporting product research, development, and testing, the four-story, 188,000-sf facility can accommodate up to 950 employees in open office environments designed to promote interaction and innovation. Offering collaboration spaces throughout the building, the technology-rich structure includes a café, a conference center, a state-of-the-art sensory center, and a customer presentation kitchen.

Pensacola State University broke ground in November of 2018 on a $34 million STEM facility to replace the Mary Ellison Baars Building in Pensacola, Fla. The first phase of the project includes construction of the $13 million east wing to accommodate programs in cybersecurity, computer science, advanced manufacturing, mathematics, and aviation maintenance. The three-story, 25,400-sf structure is being built by Ajax Building Corporation and completion is expected in May of 2020.

The University of Miami dedicated the Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio Building in November of 2018 in Coral Gables, Fla. Designed by Arquitectonica, the 20,000-sf facility provides the School of Architecture with a unique collaborative learning space that can accommodate up to 130 students simultaneously. The only fixed walls within the structure delineate a technology-rich fabrication lab with polymer and powder 3D printers.

Collin College is building a 339,000-sf campus in Wylie, Texas. Designed by Page Southerland Page to provide dynamic and flexible learning environments for programs in science, engineering, information technology, fine arts, education, and health care, the project comprises three multi-story instructional facilities including a student center, a campus commons, and a library.

The Quadram Institute began the phased occupation of its £75 million translational research facility in fall of 2018. Located in the Norwich Research Park in the United Kingdom, the 150,000-sf complex was created by Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, the University of East Anglia, Quadram Institute Bioscience, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Key questions asked during the planning process can drive the design of new and renovated research facilities, creating a high-performance, sustainable building with predictable operating costs. Questions from the building owner and stakeholders should focus on upfront costs, energy efficiency, long-term savings, safety, potential risks, construction materials, carbon reduction, zero waste, and performance vs. sustainability. For example: What energy efficiency measures should be explored? What safety strategies will have the most impact? What would it take to create a net zero lab?

The European Spallation Source is planning to construct a three-building research support campus in Lund, Sweden. Sited adjacent to the Target Station, the 215,000-gsf complex will provide 450 workspaces and 16 labs for the maintenance, testing, and development of equipment. The main five-story building will house an auditorium, offices, meeting rooms, and a dining facility. The campus was designed by Henning Larsen Architects, COBE, and SLA Architects and will be constructed by Skanska.

The University of California, Santa Barbara began construction on the $56 million Henley Hall in October of 2018. Housing the Institute for Energy Efficiency, the three-story, 49,000-gsf facility will provide 17 labs, faculty and administrative offices, a 125-seat lecture hall, conference rooms, and an atrium. Designed by KieranTimberlake to be as close to zero-net energy as possible, the project will incorporate advanced building systems and numerous sustainable technologies.

Skidmore College broke ground in October of 2018 on the $100 million Center for Integrated Sciences in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Collocating the school's ten science departments in a single location, the 200,000-sf interdisciplinary project will accommodate programs in biology, chemistry, physics, neuroscience, psychology, geoscience, environmental science, mathematics, computer science, and health and exercise science.

Rutgers University dedicated the $84 million Richard N. Weeks Hall of Engineering in October of 2018 in Piscataway, N.J. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the four-story, 106,000-sf facility provides smart classrooms, two lecture halls, offices, conference rooms, and areas for study and informal interaction.

The University of Virginia has reduced the annual operating cost of Clark Hall by $1.2 million by optimizing the facility's energy performance. Located in Charlottesville, Clark Hall originally opened in 1932 and houses the Department of Environmental Sciences and the Charles L. Brown Science & Engineering Library. A team of UVA engineers, technicians, and specialists called Delta Force reviewed and retrofitted the building's systems and equipment to create a 67 percent savings on annual energy costs.

Boston University will begin construction in spring of 2020 on the 350,000-sf Data Sciences Center. The 17-story facility will be located on the Charles River Campus and will collocate the departments of statistics, mathematics, and computer science. The center will feature terraced platforms with whiteboard walls and a collaboration ramp to promote interaction and innovation. The structure is comprised of a four-story podium topped by 13 floors, with MEP systems located in additional basement and penthouse levels.

Octapharma celebrated the opening of a $27 million pharmaceutical R&D facility on its Vienna campus in October of 2018. Designed by ATP to provide optimal flexibility, the six-story, 68,470-gsf structure offers 48,438 assignable square feet of laboratory, office, meeting, and collaboration space. The sustainable facility utilizes advanced building systems with heat recovery technologies. Octapharma is also constructing a $45 million pilot plant at the site which is slated for completion in late 2018.

The University of Maryland School of Medicine opened the $305 million Health Sciences Facility III in Baltimore in October of 2018. Designed by HOK and Design Collective, the 11-story, 435,000-sf building provides wet and dry labs for biomedical research, an imaging suite, offices, collaboration spaces, and conference and seminar rooms. Accommodating 400 faculty and staff members, the facility houses over 15 research teams engaged in the study of oncology, cardiology, neurology, genomics, and regenerative medicine.