Energy

The National University of Singapore broke ground on the Net-Zero Energy Building in November of 2016. Designed by Multiply Architects and Serie Architects, the six-story, 91,644-gsf facility will provide research labs, design studios, workshops, a test-bedding façade, and collaborative learning spaces. The building will be constructed as a living laboratory for sustainable design and will feature hybrid cooling technologies, 1,200 photovoltaic panels, and natural lighting and ventilation.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories opened a $113 million research facility in October of 2016 in Chalk River, Ontario. Designed by Dreessen Cardinal, the facility utilizes 36 different mechanical piping systems and a sophisticated building automation system with 2,800 control points. General contractor PCL completed the design/build project under budget.

Brown University is constructing an $88 million facility for the School of Engineering in Providence, R.I. Designed by Kieran Timberlake, the three-story, 80,000-sf project will support collaborative research in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and clean energy technologies. The sustainably designed facility will feature open-plan laboratories, cleanrooms for bioscience and nanotechnology, an imaging suite, collaboration spaces, and an advanced multidisciplinary undergraduate teaching lab.

The U.S. Department of Energy opened the Laboratory for Plasma Nanosynthesis in July of 2016 in New Jersey. Located on the Forrestal Campus of Princeton University, the project represents an expansion of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and provides three times as much research space as the original facility.

The University of Notre Dame opened the $36 million Turbomachinery Facility in June of 2016 in South Bend, Ind. Created in collaboration with General Electric, Indiana Michigan Power, and other industry partners, the 25,000-sf research and testing center will support the development of advanced gas turbine engine technologies. The project features full-scale simulated operating environments, including a $7.5 million, 10-megawatt jet propulsion engine rig, and will act as a Center of Excellence for Pratt & Whitney.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority is planning to construct the $136 million Research & Development Center at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. The four-building facility will be constructed using 3D printing and will support the creation of drones and 3D printing technologies for applications including solar power, energy efficiency, smart grids, and photovoltaic desalination.

The U.S. Department of Energy dedicated the $9.9 million Sensitive Instrument Facility at Ames Laboratory in Iowa in May of 2016. Accommodating microscopes used in materials science and clean energy research, the building features two-foot concrete floors with vibration-dampening layers, and the six instrument bays are lined with aluminum shielding a quarter of an inch thick to create an electromagnetic barrier.

Stanford University has completed the implementation of a campus-wide energy system called Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI). Replacing an aging cogeneration plant that utilized fossil fuel with grid-sourced electricity and an advanced heat recovery system, SESI reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 68 percent, reduces fossil fuel use by 65 percent, and decreases water consumption by 15 percent. At the heart of the system is the 125,600-sf Central Energy Facility designed by ZGF.

Fraunhofer ISE is expanding the Photovoltaic Technology Evaluation Center (PV-TEC) with the construction of an 8,600-sf cleanroom in Freiburg, Germany. The PV-TEC Select laboratory will act as a pilot plant for new front-end processing technologies, which relate to the phase of solar cell production before metallization. Accommodating research, development, and testing operations, the project aims to increase the efficiency of solar cells by up to 25 percent. 

Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) will begin construction by late 2016 on the 24,000-sf Collaboration Center in Richland, Wash. The $9.8 million facility will enable PNNL to host conferences and workshops as well as promoting interaction between researchers and staff, and will offer formal and informal meeting areas, breakout rooms, a café, and a 450-seat event space. The design-build project team includes TVA Architects and Fowler General Construction.

The Department of Energy opened the $143 million Wang Hall at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in November of 2015. The 149,000-sf facility will house the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and the Computational Research Division as well as providing a center of operations for the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet).

The University of Kansas is building the $82 million Earth, Energy and Environment Center in Lawrence. Featuring laboratories for isotope analysis, 3D visualization, and computing, the multidisciplinary complex will accommodate programs in geology, nanoscience, physics, chemistry, and chemical and petroleum engineering. The 130,000-sf center will also provide a 30-seat mediated synchronous collaboration lab and conference room, a 150-seat auditorium, and a 10-workstation suite for industry and academic partners.

The University of Glasgow opened the $35 million Sir Michael Stoker Building in October of 2015 on its Garscube campus in Scotland. Housing the Centre for Virus Research (CVR), the facility provides advanced laboratories for the study of human and veterinary virology. The building was created in partnership with the Medical Research Council and includes research offices and interaction areas. The project team included Sheppard Robson Architects, general contractor Laing O’Rourke, and engineering consultant Arup.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory opened the $59 million Chu Hall in September of 2015. Designed by SmithGroupJJR of San Francisco, the three-story, 39,000-sf facility will support research on electrochemical and photovoltaic solar energy technologies. Chu Hall houses the administrative offices of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute as well as the northern branch of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, a laboratory created in partnership with the California Institute of Technology and funded by the Department of Energy.

The Department of Energy opened the $10 million Systems Engineering Building in August of 2015. Located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., the 22,000-sf facility provides labs, computational space, and offices to support research on power grid dynamics and renewable energy technologies. The project, which has been awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification, houses the Building Operations Control Center and the Power Electronics Laboratory.