Facilities Info Center

A new, state-of-the-art science facility will house the chemistry department. It will accommodate laboratory space for both research and teaching. Faculty and administrative offices will also be included. A skylit atrium will connect the laboratory wing with the administrative offices providing a light filled space with pedestrian bridges for special functions to promote scientific collaboration.
Efforts have been made to make the new Chemistry building (and the surrounding Natural Sciences Neighborhood) one of the most environmentally sustainable areas of campus. In addition to landscape and stormwater strategies that will restore, enhance, and expand the natural areas, the new Chemistry building will incorporate sustainable building technologies. A series of proposed features will reduce energy demand and conserve water.

• Self-closing high efficiency fume hoods are anticipated to result in most significant energy savings for the project.
• Air from offices will be re-used to ventilate atrium space and then reused again as makeup air for the fume hoods, resulting in additional energy savings.
• Chilled beams will condition the air for office spaces in an efficient way.
• A Lutron auto-dimming lighting system will take advantage of free outdoor light and reduce lighting needs and costs.
• High-efficiency window glazing will be used throughout the project.
• Photovoltaic solar panels will serve double-duty by generating a limited amount of electricity as well as providing shading for the atrium.
• Under-floor air conditioning will be applied to the auditorium using the seat posts as the air supply registers, conditioning only the occupied levels in the room.
• Radiant slab heating will condition the atrium space in cold weather.
• Heat recovery will be applied to the large laboratory air handlers and exhaust systems.
• Rainwater will be captured and reused for flushing toilets (3-4 day capacity).

Fall 2010

263,000 GSF

Progress as of June 16, 2009. (Not a live view.)  Please see the photo gallery for past progress frames.

Renderings and construction photos are located in the photo gallery. Please note that renderings and artists' conceptions are presented here for historical purposes only.  The final designs of these projects may have evolved since these renderings were created