The Ohio State University Opens Pelotonia Research Center

The Ohio State University opened the $237.5 million Pelotonia Research Center in May of 2023 in Columbus. Collocating research programs in life sciences, engineering, data sciences, and environmental health, the 305,000-sf building will accelerate the creation of novel solutions for complex scientific problems. Pelli Clarke & Partners and Moody Nolan designed the five-story structure with integrated laboratory neighborhoods to foster collaboration and discovery. Anchoring the Carmenton innovation district, the interdisciplinary facility offers wet labs, computational labs, vibration-free core labs, a vivarium, and a variety of support spaces. 

Two upper floors are dedicated to the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology and the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center. Transparent labs on the ground floor leverage extensive glazing to put experiential learning and discovery on display, while a large public plaza offers a vibrant setting for gatherings and events. 

An array of advanced technologies enable the project to meet the University’s own sustainability and energy conservation benchmarks. The high-performance building utilizes chilled beams to reduce the project’s Energy Use Intensity (EUI) which is estimated annually to be 205kBTu per sf, yielding a projected 13.5 percent energy savings as compared to the ASHRAE baseline model.

Work began in September of 2020 on the center, which was built by a joint venture of Whiting-Turner and CK Construction. The project team included Jacobs Consultancy as lab planner and SMBH as structural engineer. Affiliated Engineers (AEI) provided MEP engineering services, which also encompassed the specialized infrastructure in the animal housing and research facilities.