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Construction of a state-of-the-art building to house undergraduate laboratories in the fields of chemistry, biology, environmental science and engineering, economics, and social science. The 135,000 square foot, L-shaped structure provides 50 cutting edge teaching and research labs designed to encourage collaboration, innovation, and integration. The facility also contains 10 classrooms, a 75-seat auditorium, smaller seminar rooms, computer labs, and offices for 80 faculty, staff, and graduate students. A four-story, glass lined atrium connects the two wings and serves as a conduit between diverse functional areas and the exterior environment.
As construction manager, our team assisted the University in pursuing LEED certification for the project. The 5-story building is being built to increased environmental standards, including a grass covered roof to improve insulation and reduce the amount of stormwater entering the city’s sewage system. Additional “green” building techniques include:
- Construction materials – Sustainable materials and materials with recycled content, including steel, concrete, and ceramic tile; construction waste recycled or diverted from landfills
- Indoor air quality measures – Zero-VOC finishes and CO2 monitoring to maintain improved air quality; operable windows to allow natural ventilation
- Green lighting – Features such as occupancy sensors, natural light sources, and sunshades
- Water conservation – Reduced domestic water usage (anticipated to be 20% less than current LEED standard) and low-flow and dual-flush plumbing fixtures (expected to achieve 24% lower flow rate than current LEED standard)
- Highly efficient building systems – Heat recovery wheels, radiant heating systems, individual environmental controls
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