Columbia University will soon begin construction on New York City’s first all-electric academic research building. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the 80,700-sf building for the university’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons will provide eight floors of biomedical research and lab facilities as well as symposium and community engagement spaces.
With a design that uses significantly less energy than similar buildings, the Biomedical Research Building will outperform emission limits set by local law and is expected to perform 30% more efficiently than the commercial building benchmark. The facility also supports Columbia University’s plan to introduce no new fossil fuel infrastructure into campus buildings and to achieve campus-wide net-zero emissions by 2050.
Because laboratories have greater ventilation requirements than other buildings, they require more robust mechanical systems, which typically result in increased energy usage. The design team worked with sustainability consultant Atelier Ten to create an all-electric research lab building that could handle the facility’s high heating loads.
The Biomedical Research Building is heated and cooled with electric air source heat pumps that allow for energy recovery between the heating and cooling fluids, providing periods of free tempering during the year. Air-side energy recovery systems use waste heat to reduce the total energy needed to condition the building.
The high-performance façade features a window-to-wall ratio below 50%. Exterior shading and a louver system reduce solar heat gain and glare while reflecting natural light into the labs.
The building’s design integrates biophilic elements such as green walls and natural and renewable materials in collaboration spaces. A large connecting stair encourages active circulation, and corner lounges foster collaboration among researchers.
On the Building Team:
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)
MEP engineer: AKF Group
Structural engineer: Hatfield Group
Sustainability consultant: Atelier Ten
Lab planning consultant: Jacobs
Construction manager: LF Driscoll Healthcare
Related Stories
University Buildings | Jun 9, 2023
Cornell’s new information science building will foster dynamic exchange of ideas and quiet, focused research
Construction recently began on Cornell University’s new 135,000-sf building for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science (Cornell Bowers CIS). The structure will bring together the departments of Computer Science, Information Science, and Statistics and Data Science for the first time in one complex.
Student Housing | Jun 5, 2023
The power of student engagement: How on-campus student housing can increase enrollment
Studies have confirmed that students are more likely to graduate when they live on campus, particularly when the on-campus experience encourages student learning and engagement, writes Design Collaborative's Nathan Woods, AIA.
Urban Planning | Jun 2, 2023
Designing a pedestrian-focused city in downtown Phoenix
What makes a city walkable? Shepley Bulfinch's Omar Bailey, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, believes pedestrian focused cities benefit most when they're not only easy to navigate, but also create spaces where people can live, work, and play.
Higher Education | May 24, 2023
Designing spaces that promote enrollment
Alyson Mandeville, Higher Education Practice Leader, argues that colleges and universities need to shift their business model—with the help of designers.
University Buildings | May 17, 2023
New UC Irvine health sciences building supports aim to become national model for integrative health
The new College of Health Sciences Building and Nursing & Health Sciences Hall at the University of California Irvine supports the institution’s goal of becoming a national model for integrative health. The new 211,660-sf facility houses nursing, medical doctorate, pharmacy, philosophy, and public health programs in a single building.
University Buildings | May 11, 2023
New ‘bold and twisting’ building consolidates School of Continuing Studies at York University
The design of a new building that consolidates York University’s School of Continuing Studies into one location is a new architectural landmark at the Toronto school’s Keele Campus. “The design is emblematic of the school’s identity and culture, which is centered around accelerated professional growth in the face of a continuously evolving labor market,” according to a news release from Perkins&Will.
Sustainability | May 11, 2023
Let's build toward a circular economy
Eric Corey Freed, Director of Sustainability, CannonDesign, discusses the values of well-designed, regenerative buildings.
Digital Twin | May 8, 2023
What AEC professionals should know about digital twins
A growing number of AEC firms and building owners are finding value in implementing digital twins to unify design, construction, and operational data.
University Buildings | May 5, 2023
New health sciences center at St. John’s University will feature geothermal heating, cooling
The recently topped off St. Vincent Health Sciences Center at St. John’s University in New York City will feature impressive green features including geothermal heating and cooling along with an array of rooftop solar panels. The geothermal field consists of 66 wells drilled 499 feet below ground which will help to heat and cool the 70,000 sf structure.
Mass Timber | May 1, 2023
SOM designs mass timber climate solutions center on Governors Island, anchored by Stony Brook University
Governors Island in New York Harbor will be home to a new climate-solutions center called The New York Climate Exchange. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Exchange will develop and deploy solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a regional hub for the green economy. New York’s Stony Brook University will serve as the center’s anchor institution.
