The Science and Engineering Complex at Tufts University is a LEED Gold facility and is one of the most energy-efficient laboratory buildings of its kind in the United States. It is the product of a strategic infill addition and aggressive energy targets determined at the very onset of the design process. Rather than relocate or demolish one of the significant historic buildings, the design team arrived at a solution for a smaller new addition that leverages and strengthens the existing buildings through adaptive reuse, creating an integrated complex. The complex addresses the University’s desire for a critical mass of research and teaching space to support cross-departmental collaborations in an environmentally responsible manner.
The project was recently featured in TuftsNow, detailing the installation of a new roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system to provide solar energy to the building. The new system includes a 136-panel array on the roof of the Science and Engineering Complex that is expected to generate about 61,000 kilowatt hours per year.
Read the article here.
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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