Did you know that Northeastern University’s Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex was included in Boston Magazine’s 100 Best Buildings in Boston list? The buildings were chosen based on several factors including architectural prestige, design, historical significance and plain old coolness.
75. Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex at Northeastern University
Quietly and without fanfare, Northeastern University has risen in the college rankings over the past ten years, going from a New England university into an international hub of innovation and research. Its campus buildings have grown along with it. In 2017, the towering glass Science and Engineering Complex was completed, featuring a wide central atrium that extends upward through all six floors of the building. The architects worked closely with the Northeastern administration to create a building that honored transparency and exuded an energy and movement. Throughout the building, views of research spaces remain unobstructed through the use of glazed walls, offering anyone a peep in on what STEM students are up to in the laboratories.
See the full Boston Magazine 100 Best Buildings in Boston list.
Northeastern EXP features an organic pinwheel design, shaping research and classroom neighborhoods with shared community spaces radiating from the core to define each area. The building façade was tuned to achieve a 78% reduction in peak solar heat gain and a 62% reduction in cumulative solar radiation leading to energy use reductions and reduced mechanical system sizing. The use of stainless steel further leads to an embodied carbon reduction of almost one million tons when compared to aluminum while the natural stainless surface reflects light in a natural and warm tone giving the building an inherent energy.
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