Sustainability

Framingham State University, part of the University of Massachusetts system, has added 58,000 sf of new laboratory space to the Hemenway science complex in the middle of campus. Hemenway Laboratories, a five-story addition with a basement mechanical level, houses 16 teaching labs serving organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry; food science; and the biological sciences of human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, intro biology, comparative anatomy, ecology/ornithology, biomarine organisms, zoology, and cell biology/genetics.

Harvard University is planning to build the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Allston, Mass. Designed by Behnisch Architekten, the six-story, 586,000-sf building will feature a central atrium rising from the basement level offering sophisticated interaction space for faculty, students, and staff. The facility will provide classrooms, open teaching spaces, conference rooms, as well as areas for exhibits, retail, and dining.

Montclair State University dedicated the $55 million Center for Environmental and Life Sciences in October of 2015 in Montclair, N.J. Providing seven interdisciplinary research suites and six core labs, the five-story, 107,500-sf facility houses the Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, the Passaic River Institute, and the PSE&G Institute for Sustainability Studies. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the center offers classrooms, offices, seminar rooms, a 100-seat lecture hall, and a microscopy suite.

Rochester Institute of Technology opened the $15 million Clinical Health Sciences Center in October of 2015 in Henrietta, N.Y. The 45,000-sf facility provides technology-rich lecture rooms, simulation suites, and clinical research space for the College of Health Sciences and Technology. The two-story project also houses the Wegmans School of Health and Nutrition, the Center for Applied Psychophysiology and Self-Regulation, and a primary care clinic operated by Rochester General Health System.

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.

In the ever-evolving quest for sustainability, engineers and their clients may find the 2013 updates to ASHRAE 90.1, the energy code that predominantly guides the design of buildings, useful in benchmarking energy efficiency for new or remodeled laboratories and vivaria. Regular review of the code ensures compliance for new projects and offers an opportunity to refine best practices for building envelopes, mechanical systems, lighting, and noise mitigation, say Adam Golubski and Philip Walter of The Clark Enersen Partners.

The Army Institute of Public Health has awarded a $206 million contract to a joint venture of The Walsh Group and Gilbane Building Company for the Public Health Command (PHC) laboratory replacement project. Located on 20 acres at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, the 275,000-sf biomedical research facility will include wet labs, field labs, offices, anechoic chambers, laser labs, a vivarium, an insectary, and a 43,000-gsf central utility plant.

Grand Valley State University dedicated the $55 million P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science in August of 2015 in Allendale, Mich. The four-story, 152,000-sf facility provides 15 teaching labs, 14 research labs, nine classrooms, conference rooms, study areas, a computational lab, and a 3,000-sf greenhouse. Research Facilities Design was the laboratory design consultant for the facility, which features interactive labs supporting a shared functionality in which faculty and students can engage in collaborative projects.

Olympic College will begin construction in October of 2015 on a $50.1 million academic building in Bremerton, Wash. Designed by Schacht Aslani Architects, the three-story, 70,000-sf building will feature an active learning classroom, a 276-seat theater, a two-story atrium, and instructional space for health science, music, and fine art. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which will utilize LED lighting, a 100-kilowatt photovoltaic array, and 90 percent heat recovery.

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.

Clayton State University opened its $18 million Science Building in August of 2015 in Morrow, Ga. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the 58,610-sf facility provides eight research labs, eight teaching labs, two 64-seat classrooms, two 36-seat classrooms, and two seminar rooms. The three-story building houses stacked biology and chemistry suites, each integrating research, prep, and teaching space.

SUNY Upstate Medical Center began construction in June of 2015 on the second phase of the Central New York Biotech Accelerator (CNYBAC) in Syracuse, N.Y. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the project includes the build out of the second and third floors of the facility to house the Upstate Medical Innovation and Novel Discovery Center (MIND) and the Molecular Pathology Next Generation Sequencing Lab.

Achieving the goal of near net-zero energy consumption in research facilities over the next decade and beyond will be more challenging than efforts that so far have resulted in a 40 percent energy reduction for many. Getting to 80 percent savings can put them in range, and the best way to tackle this final, achievable savings is by addressing energy and water consumption together using new technologies like more efficient lab equipment and better data center cooling systems, according to Steve Frei and Paul Erickson, principals at Affiliated Engineers, Inc.

Oregon State University is planning to build a $60 million Forest Science Complex in Corvallis. The 85,000-sf project includes construction of the 20,000-sf Advanced Wood Building Products Laboratory, which will feature a strong floor for full-scale product testing, high-bay research space, and robotic manufacturing systems. An academic building supporting programs in forestry, wood science, and renewable materials will also be constructed. Both facilities will open in fall of 2017.

BASF opened a $55 million research center in July of 2015 in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The 118,400-sf facility provides laboratories and offices for approximately 200 employees in the Advanced Materials & Systems Research division. The seven-story project is strategically sited between other research buildings to foster collaboration. The center, built using BASF’s innovative construction technologies, features high-performance insulation panels based on inorganic aerogel.