Energy Use Reduction

Tufts University is building the 175,000-sf Science and Engineering Complex in Boston. The $110 million project includes construction of a five-story, 80,000-sf teaching and research atrium and the complete renovation of two adjoining halls. Designed to promote collaborative research in neuroscience and environmental science, the new building will provide three floors of wet research space, four core facilities, two imaging suites, a mass spectrometer suite, teaching labs, and seven meeting rooms.

The University of Rochester is building the $25 million Wegmans Hall in Rochester, N.Y. Housing the Goergen Institute for Data Science, the four-story, 58,000-sf interdisciplinary facility will provide laboratories, classrooms, collaborative work zones, a large auditorium, and faculty and staff offices. LEED Silver sustainable design will be sought for the project, which will be dedicated in October of 2016 with occupancy expected in winter of 2017.

Columbia University Medical Center dedicated the $70 million Vagelos Education Center in June of 2016 in New York City. Designed by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with executive architect Gensler, the 14-story, 100,000-sf facility provides technology-rich classrooms, an advanced simulation center, collaborative learning areas, a 275-seat auditorium, a café, and a student commons. LEED Gold certification will be sought for the project, which features a transparent design with abundant natural light.

The University of Michigan is constructing the $261 million Biological Science Building in Ann Arbor. Designed by SmithGroup JJR and Ennead Architects, the 300,000-gsf facility will provide open, flexible laboratories for collaborative research as well as classrooms, offices, and a vivarium. The building is sited adjacent to the existing Life Sciences Institute to which it will physically connect. The general contractor for the project is Barton Malow Company and completion is expected in 2018.

Queen’s University Belfast is building the $55 million School of Biological Sciences in the United Kingdom. Providing advanced teaching and research facilities, the 118,400-sf project will support programs in food science, agriculture, infectious diseases, environmental science, and waste management. Designed by Scott Tallon Walker, the facility will house the Institute for Global Food Security as well as accommodating the School of Biological Sciences’ 170 staff and 750 students.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point broke ground on its $75 million Science Building in May of 2016. Designed by HOK and Potter Lawson to promote visibility and transparency, the four-story, 176,500-sf facility will provide teaching and research labs for biology and chemistry. Flexible instructional spaces with moveable furniture will accommodate a variety of learning styles in two 98-seat lecture halls, three 48-seat classrooms, and two 24-seat classrooms.

Rutgers University broke ground on the $84 million Richard Weeks Hall of Engineering in May of 2016. The 105,000-sf facility represents the first phase of a planned engineering complex and will act as a gateway to the Busch campus in Piscataway, N.J. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the interdisciplinary teaching and research building will provide smart classrooms, wet and dry labs, a cleanroom, a high bay lab, offices, conference rooms, interaction space, and a team-based learning (TBL) lecture hall.

Columbia University is building the 450,000-sf Jerome L. Greene Science Center in New York City. Designed by Renzo Piano, the interdisciplinary facility will promote creative collaboration among scientists with inviting interaction areas and laboratories arranged in connected quadrants. The Greene Science Center is the first structure on Columbia's 17-acre Manhattanville campus and is funded in part by a $250 million donation.

Pennsylvania State University will break ground in summer of 2017 on a $144 million chemical and biomedical engineering building in University Park. Designed by HOK to promote interaction and collaboration, the 193,000-sf facility will replace the existing Fenske and Hallowell buildings where the departments of chemical engineering and biomedical engineering are currently located. The LEED-certified project will provide open research labs, a large lecture hall, classrooms, and administrative offices. Occupancy is expected in early 2019.

Vassar College completed construction in spring of 2016 on the $125 million Integrated Science Commons in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Designed by Ennead Architects, the project features the 82,000-sf Bridge for Laboratory Sciences, a teaching and research building that spans a ravine.

EMD Serono broke ground in May of 2016 on a $12 million expansion of its biopharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Billerica, Mass. Accommodating 120 employees, the two-story, 30,000-sf facility will support the development of advanced therapies for the treatment of cancer and immunological conditions. The project will be constructed as an extension of the existing Sagamore Building and will feature open-plan work areas, a central auditorium, and numerous meeting spaces, including bleacher seating for spontaneous collaboration and interaction.

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.

Yale University is planning to replace the J.W. Gibbs Laboratory on its New Haven campus with the 280,300-sf Yale Science Building. Located on Science Hill, the six-story facility will feature specialized research laboratories, underground core labs, a 500-seat lecture hall, and a shared commons area. A small greenhouse and a mechanical penthouse will be located on the roof. The Yale Science Building is being designed by Cesar Pelli of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects to attain LEED Gold sustainable design certification.

Assumption College broke ground in April of 2016 on a $15 million, 60,000-sf academic building in Worcester, Mass. Designed by Nault Architects, the facility will provide seminar rooms, study areas, a technology-rich performance hall with 400 seats, and 13 classrooms for team-based learning. Occupancy of the sustainably designed building is expected in fall of 2017.

Signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment pledge is one thing, but complying with it is quite another. At the University of Pennsylvania, compliance meant renovating the HVAC systems in a 140,000-gsf chemistry research and teaching facility built in 1973. Converting the building’s constant-volume ventilation system, which provided 22 air changes per hour (ACH) 24 hours a day, to a variable-volume system providing 4 to 12 ACH would yield massive energy savings. The catch? Doing it without kicking anyone out.