Resilience Through Sustainability

With sustainability being an important factor in the design and operation of the buildings, we pursued options that could enhance building efficiency, reduce emissions, and minimize energy consumption to make the individual buildings and campus whole. By incorporating solar panels on the manufacturing building’s roof and a solar panel array along the eastern portion of the site, we were able to decrease the building’s reliance on the local energy grid. Further enhancing our eco-conscious efforts, applying electrochromic glazing enabled us to downsize the air handling units and required ductwork sizes. Additionally, electrochromic glazing plays a big part in achieving sustainability goals. It allowed us to design glass façades free from shading devices, allowing for uninterrupted views while providing heat and glare protection for increased occupant comfort.

An essential aspect of the project for the client was acknowledging the site’s historical roots as farmland. In line with this and sustainability goals, we preserved felled trees and donated them to a local woodworking establishment. This local wood found a new purpose in crafting an array of tables, feature walls, and small keepsakes to be distributed to the campus workers.

To safeguard the buildings, their occupants, and operational integrity, we explored design options and materials that could simultaneously meet sustainability objectives and provide protection against high-speed wind events. The research and support building accomplished this through metal panels, ultra-lightweight precast concrete (UHPC) rain screen systems, hurricane-resistant mechanical screen walls, and impact-resistant curtainwall. The UHPC rain screen allowed for more design flexibility while providing resistance to flying objects propelled by high-speed wind. The panels could be fabricated in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and textures to create a unique look for the building while mimicking the materiality of the manufacturing building.

Given the substantial expanse of glass on the southern façade of the research and support building, it was imperative to ensure the buildings could withstand hurricanes and tornadoes without compromising critical operations. To meet this challenge, we implemented a high-strength PVB interlayer to protect the inner glass layer against debris propelled by high-speed winds.

We employed insulated tilt-up precast concrete panels in the manufacturing building to provide a robust envelope without sacrificing aesthetics. The panels consisted of a core layer of rigid insulation sandwiched between two layers of concrete to provide a well-designed finished surface and high thermal performance. Leveraging the benefits of precast construction expedited fabrication and assembly, effectively reducing project costs.