Amherst College’s New Science Center is featured in the latest issue of STRUCTURE magazine. The article delves into the details of the elegant cantilevered glass curtainwall, and the distinctive roof system which provides natural light and radiant heating and cooling, as well as energy for the building through its photovoltaic panels – an example of performalism. The vision for the building was to not only be a home for the College’s science labs, classrooms and offices in a manner that reveals the workings of science, but to also serve as a Commons for the entire campus.
In realizing the architectural vision of the Commons space, a structural scheme needed to be developed that would accommodate the multi-story, column-free space and would evince the feel of a living room serving the whole campus.
Adam P Blanchard, P.E. and Jeffrey Abramson, AIA LEED AP, November, 2019
Related Links:
New Science Center at Amherst College Featured in Architectural Record
Spotlight on Interior Design: Creating a Campus Destination
Amherst College Science Center Making News
This Earth Week, we’ll be covering five landmark buildings exemplifying new approaches to building performance and sustainability.
The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Klarman Building is the first hospital in the northeast to implement chilled beams in an inpatient setting. Early energy analysis demonstrated that the use of chilled beams would be the best way to reduce building energy use.
For this strategy to work, however, the peak thermal loads of the façades could not exceed the capacity of the chilled beams. An integrated design approach and in-house modeling allowed for constant tuning of the façade to optimize glazing, solar exposure and massing. The building orients glazing to face true north and south to minimize heat gain and maximize occupant comfort, resulting in a 15% reduction in peak solar load.
Beyond performance, the distinctive serrated terracotta façade reflects the scale and cadence of individual patient rooms, providing a delicate scale and texture to the façade.
#earthweek #designalways #buildingscience #performalism #facade
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