Vancouver Community College is planning to construct the CAD$291.3 million Centre for Clean Energy and Automotive Innovation on its Broadway campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. Designed by Stantec, the 343,832-sf facility will empower students to participate in the clean energy economy with technology-rich teaching labs, flexible classrooms, and specialized venues for collaborative education.
The U.S. Department of Energy opened the $19.5 million Research and Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) in May of 2023 in Golden, Colo. Located at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the 15,700-sf facility features 5,500 sf of cross-disciplinary collaboration space for the development of pioneering energy solutions and technologies. Catalyzing innovation at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, bioscience, and engineering, RAIL offers additional wet lab capacity, which is in high demand on NREL’s South Table Mountain campus.
Matrix Innovation Center opened the Matrix ONE lab and office building in May of 2023 in the Amsterdam Science Park. Designed by MVRDV, the 140,000-sf structure provides flexible labs and offices, a 100-seat auditorium, and a range of settings for informal interaction. As well as offering leasable space for private companies, Matrix ONE houses SustainaLab, a research hub for the creation of climate change solutions.
Clemson University broke ground in May of 2023 on the $130 million Advanced Materials Innovation Complex in Clemson, S.C. Housing the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the 143,000-sf center will also accommodate select faculty from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering as they explore interdisciplinary synergies and endeavors. Collaborative research suites will enable teams of investigators to discover new technologies for advanced manufacturing, energy, and health.
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has made fighting climate change a top priority for its 250-acre campus in Kamloops, British Columbia. University leaders have committed that TRU will become a net-zero campus and be fossil fuel free by 2030. To that end, it is replacing fossil-fuel-powered heating and cooling with a new low-carbon district energy system (LCDES) that includes a combination of heat pumps powered by renewable electricity. TRU officials and others believe electrification through district energy is the most impactful way for institutions to wean themselves off fossil fuels.
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory opened the $86 million Integrated Engineering Research Center in April of 2023 in Batavia, Ill. Designed by Perkins+Will with Arup as as structural & MEP engineer, the 80,000-sf facility collocates engineers, technicians, and scientists at the heart of Fermi's campus. Providing next-generation infrastructure for advanced particle physics, the flexible and modular building features reconfigurable labs, design studios, and testing suites.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has created the Global Occupant Behavior Database, a publicly accessible resource that can provide actionable insights about how buildings are used. Compiling data collected by 39 institutions in 15 countries, the database was developed in collaboration with researchers from Syracuse University, the University of Georgia, Texas A&M University, and Technical University of Denmark.
Western Washington University broke ground in March of 2023 on the $73.6 million Kaiser Borsari Hall in Bellingham. Designed by Perkins&Will, the 54,000-sf structure will accommodate the school's growing programs in computer science, electrical engineering, and energy science and technology. The four-story building will provide active learning classrooms, teaching and research labs, offices, breakout areas, a multicultural student lounge, and a collaborative commons.
The new Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., is designed for groundbreaking performance and efficiency, with expectations of achieving an energy use intensity (EUI) of approximately 18 compared to the average usage of 130 at other campus buildings. Maintaining low energy consumption, optimizing occupant comfort, minimizing the mechanical cooling needs, and expressing energy performance through design were especially important goals for the institute, which is intended to be a living laboratory for educating the next generation of energy experts.
The University of Utah broke ground in February of 2023 on the Applied Sciences Project in Salt Lake City. Designed by EDA, the $93.5 million endeavor includes renovation of 40,700 sf in the historic William Stewart Building and construction of a 100,000-sf teaching and research facility. The integrated complex will feature wet and dry labs where teams of scientists will address the country’s most urgent issues, from energy and climate change to air quality and water management.
NexCore Science & Technology will begin construction in fall of 2023 on the 400,000-sf Global Energy Park in Golden, Colo. Strategically sited within walking distance of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab, the 9.3-acre development will offer leading-edge environments for the discovery and commercialization of clean energy technologies. Tenants will benefit from access to NREL's research ecosystem including computing equipment, testing resources, and visualization capabilities.
The U.S. Department of Energy broke ground in October of 2022 on the $86.2 million Science and User Support Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. Designed by Gensler and Burns & McDonnell, the 75,000-gsf structure will act as a welcome center and innovation hub for visiting researchers, guests, and facility users. Modern, configurable conference spaces will promote interaction among investigators as they explore interdisciplinary synergies and discover new technologies and solutions.
Claremont McKenna College broke ground in October of 2022 on the Robert Day Sciences Center in Claremont, Calif. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the 135,000-sf facility will provide the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences with classrooms, collaboration spaces, teaching and research labs, and faculty offices. The open, light-filled structure will embody the convergence of computational, life, and social sciences by supporting a progressive pedagogy focused on three key areas: Gene, Brain, and Planet.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories broke ground in September of 2022 on the $500 million Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre at Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario. Featuring mass timber components, the 108,000-sf building will provide state-of-the-art research environments for the development of advanced nuclear technologies. Accommodating 240 employees, the secure structure will house flexible laboratories, administrative offices, and 12 shielded hot cells with accompanying glovebox facilities.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Net Zero Labs Pilot Initiative in May of 2022 to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies at National Laboratories. Supporting President Biden's climate goals, the program will catalyze the creation of net-zero solutions that can be replicated by federal, state, and local governments. Establishing a model for the decarbonization of complex structures with stringent power and resiliency requirements, the $38 million pilot will advance projects at four facilities:
