Eastern Michigan University’s New Science Center Reaches for LEED Silver

Fuente: inhabitat.com

Autor: Evelyn Lee

Fecha: 23/02/2011

Eastern Michigan University just unveiled a $90 million, energy-efficient addition and renovation to their Mark Jefferson Science Building. Designed by Lord, Aeck, & Sargent, the addition is pursuing LEED silver certification and features a spherical planetarium/classroom, a new five-story building, a green roof, and a rain garden.

Phase 1 of the ambitious project involves an 80,000-square-foot building that was completed this past December. The addition includes new classrooms, labs and faculty offices for biology, chemistry, geography and geology, physics and astronomy, and psychology departments. Phase 2 includes a complete renovation of the existing 180,000-square-foot 1969 building, which is targeted for completion in August 2012.

Associate Dean Wade Tornquist of EMU’s College of Arts & Sciences stated his enthusiasm regarding the new facilities: “Our existing science facilities were designed in an era when EMU’s mission was primarily teaching, but today we need science facilities that will help us mentor large numbers of undergraduate and graduate research students.”

The new EMU Science Complex’s strongest green building benefit is the reduction of energy use thanks to its dedicated outdoor air system, radiant cooling, and dual energy recovery system.