Energy Use Reduction

Intelligent building solutions that combine building automation systems (BAS), computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), the Internet of Things (IoT), smart building technologies, and data analytics software are being used to reduce energy costs, optimize operations, enhance user experience, and, most recently, adhere to standards established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As these technologies and platforms converge, more buildings and campuses are leveraging systems integration to optimize resource management, establish proactive maintenance programs, automate processes, and increase productivity. 

The University of Hawaii at Manoa completed construction in June of 2020 on the $65 million Life Sciences Building in Honolulu. Accommodating the College of Natural Sciences' School of Life Sciences, the 70,000-sf interdisciplinary facility offers six teaching labs, 15 research labs, 28 faculty offices, 52 graduate student workstations, five conference rooms, and a 600-sf student collaboration area.

York University is building the CAD$50.5 million School of Continuing Studies in Toronto. Acting as a gateway to the Keele Campus, the 97,000-sf building will collocate the school's programs in a single integrated facility offering 39 classrooms, breakout rooms, study spaces, student lounges, and faculty and staff offices.

Global technology company Tencent is planning to build the 320-acre Net City in Shenzhen, China. The sustainable, self-contained development is being designed by NBBJ as a fully integrated 'city of the future' sited on 21 million sf of land. Terraced structures up to 30 stories tall will be nestled in abundant green spaces connected by pedestrian and cycle routes. Rooftop photovoltaic arrays will be mounted on most facilities.

Wheaton College's Pine Hall is the first academic residence hall in the state of Massachusetts to attain PHIUS certification from Passive House Institute US. Consuming 50 percent less energy than a conventional structure, the 45,000-sf facility features advanced HVAC and lighting systems, triple-glazed windows, solar shading, and high-performance walls and roofing.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is constructing the $105 million Nursing and Instructional Building. Designed by LS3P, the 180,000-sf structure will provide a consolidated home for the School of Nursing and allow for programmatic growth to support additional enrollment. The four-story structure will feature multiple simulation training environments including hospital rooms, patient exam rooms, labor and delivery suites, and home health settings such as mock apartments.

Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology is planning to construct the CAD$105 million A-Block Building Expansion in Toronto. Acting as a gateway to the school's Progress Campus in Scarborough, the 150,000-gsf project will be the first zero-carbon, mass-timber facility at an institution of higher education in Canada. Offering academic and social spaces for the School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science, the building will include flexible classrooms for active learning, laboratories, administrative offices, and an expansive atrium.

Washington State University Tri-Cities is constructing the $30 million Academic Confluence Building in Richland. Designed by ZGF Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the 40,000-sf facility will feature state-of-the-art teaching labs for programs in physics, biology, chemistry, geology, engineering, and anatomy and physiology.

The University of California, San Diego is planning to break ground in late 2020 on the Future College Living and Learning Neighborhood in La Jolla, Calif. Designed by HKS Architects and EYRC, the five-building, 900,000-sf complex will provide general-use classrooms, a 480-seat auditorium, a conference center, administrative offices, dining and retail amenities, and residential accommodation for approximately 2,000 undergraduate students.

American University is constructing the $90 million Hall of Science in Washington, D.C. Designed to promote innovation and collaboration, the 125,000-sf building will provide shared research areas where students and faculty can participate in joint projects with scientists from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Siemens is offering a three-part webinar series: "Winning Projects Requiring Complex Building Technologies." Join David Weaver, Director of Smart Infrastructure at Siemens, for one, two, or all three half-hour sessions to learn how you can meet your clients' expectations and win new projects that require ever more complex and far-reaching technologies. Leveraging these innovative solutions can create the ideal user experience and enhance your reputation as a smart building contractor. Registration includes access to all three events. 

Montana State University Billings is renovating and expanding an existing structure to create the 80,000-sf Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building. Designed by Dowling Studio Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory design consultant, the $15 million project includes the construction of a three-story, 30,000-sf addition that will provide 16 teaching labs, 11 research labs, classrooms, study spaces, and a shared equipment core.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is renovating and expanding its engineering complex to provide leading-edge environments for learning and discovery. The $75 million project will replace an existing 25,300-sf structure with an 87,000-sf research facility connecting the Scott Engineering Center to Nebraska Hall. The four-story, 177,000-gsf Scott Engineering Center will be renovated to provide new undergraduate teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, and departmental offices.

The University of Maine began construction in May of 2020 on the $78 million Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center in Orono. Designed by Ellenzweig and WBRC Architects/Engineers to promote experiential learning, the 108,000-sf facility will feature hands-on teaching labs for programs in mechanical and biomedical engineering. The three-story multidisciplinary building will also offer instructional spaces, capstone project rooms, a collaboration commons, conference rooms, informal meeting areas, and offices for faculty and staff.

Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University is planning to build the Collegium Medicum facility on its Wóycickiego campus in Warsaw, Poland. Designed by Pracownia Architektoniczna, the 42,000-sf structure will provide leading-edge teaching labs, classrooms, simulation suites, and training rooms for the school's new faculty of medicine. Offering three floors above ground and one below, the facility will feature advanced audiovisual technologies and extensive photovoltaic arrays.