flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Smithsonian Institution opens LEED Platinum lab facility

Smithsonian Institution opens LEED Platinum lab facility

The finished lab’s reduced carbon footprint comes from a substantial reliance on renewables. 


By Smithsonian Institute | September 19, 2014

The Smithsonian Institution opened the doors of its greenest building to date on Friday, Sept. 19: the Charles McC. Mathias Laboratory on the campus of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Md. Designed to be the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum building in the Institution, the Mathias Lab will emit 37% less CO2 than a comparable lab that does not meet LEED-certification standards.

Before the new Mathias Lab, almost two-thirds of SERC’s office space and one-fourth of its lab space were housed in trailers. The disjointed environment hindered communication and the kind of experiments scientists were able to do.

“The new lab provides us flexible space for future cutting-edge research,” said SERC Director Anson “Tuck” Hines. “Biogenomics, conservation biology, global change—these are all at the forefront of environmental science today. The new lab gives our scientists the ability to explore new territory in a more sustainable way.”

Building a sustainable research laboratory is more difficult than building a sustainable home, office space or school, largely because research environments are highly energy intensive and typically consume three-to-four times as much electricity as other buildings. However, research efforts on climate change, invasive species and conserving the Chesapeake Bay are vital to preserving healthy ecosystems throughout the rest of the world. The challenge for lead architect Howard Skoke of EwingCole was to enhance these research projects while slashing their environmental footprint.

 


On the south side of the lab, this 4.65-acre constructed wetland acts as rain garden to filter stormwater. The wetland also receives irrigation as part of the lab’s system to recycle 100 percent of its water. Photo: Monaca Noble / Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

 

The finished lab’s reduced carbon footprint comes from a substantial reliance on renewables. A geothermal well field with 250 wells provides a highly efficient heat exchange for the lab’s HVAC system, while a 352-kilowatt array of solar panels provides water heating and covers 15 percent of the building’s annual electricity expense. Energy efficiency also received a boost from passive solar lighting, a result of its open interior design and large windows, as well as automated lighting controls and strong insulation. In total, the Mathias Lab will save an estimated 42 percent on energy costs each year compared to a lab without LEED certification.

The lab will also recycle 100% of its water through innovative interconnection of systems. All domestic “gray water” will go to a wastewater treatment plant on the SERC campus within walking distance of the lab. From there, it will be sent back to the lab for reuse in fire protection, irrigation and the water-closet supply. Some of the water will nourish the 4.5-acre constructed wetland on the lab’s south side. Three cisterns will capture rainwater to irrigate the wetland, which will filter stormwater and provide a living habitat for native plants and animals.

The majority of the project’s $57 million funding came from Congress. Construction began in May 2011 with the addition of 69,000 sf of new laboratory and office space. Renovation of the existing 23,000-sf laboratory completed the project in fall 2014.

“Mac Mathias would have loved this building as much as the research that is going to go on inside it,” said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). “This new lab will dramatically advance research efforts on conserving the Chesapeake and understanding climate change. Highly energy efficient, heavily reliant on renewable energy sources and quite beautiful, the lab is a statement on how the built and natural environments can continually complement one another.”

“As a strong supporter of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, I’m pleased that this new sustainable research facility will provide men and women at the forefront of environmental science with the space needed to conduct their critical work,” said Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). “Throughout my career, I’ve been proud to support investments in research and innovation, and I look forward to joining the SERC team as they open the new Mathias Lab.”

EwingCole was the design firm for the project. The general contractor was Hensel Phelps Construction Company. 

Related Stories

| Aug 26, 2013

What you missed last week: Architecture billings up again; record year for hotel renovations; nation's most expensive real estate markets

BD+C's roundup of the top construction market news for the week of August 18 includes the latest architecture billings index from AIA and a BOMA study on the nation's most and least expensive commercial real estate markets. 

| Aug 26, 2013

Chicago Bears kick off season at renovated Halas Hall

An upgraded locker room, expanded weight room, and updated dining room with an outdoor patio greeted the Chicago Bears when they arrived at Halas Hall for practice this month. The improvements are part of a major expansion and renovation of the Bears’ headquarters in Lake Forest, Ill., completed by Mortenson Construction in less than seven months.

| Aug 22, 2013

Energy-efficient glazing technology [AIA Course]

This course discuses the latest technological advances in glazing, which make possible ever more efficient enclosures with ever greater glazed area.

| Aug 22, 2013

Warehouse remake: Conversion project turns derelict freight terminal into modern office space [slideshow]

The goal of the Freight development is to attract businesses to an abandoned industrial zone north of downtown Denver.

| Aug 21, 2013

AIA: Architecture billings on the rise in July

The Architecture Billings Index for July was 52.7, up from a mark of 51.6 in June. This score reflects an increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).

| Aug 20, 2013

40 Under 40 retrospective: ‘U40s’ take on continuing ed, snake’s blood

Every month we’ll be touching base with past 40 Under 40 honorees to see what’s been happening in their professional and personal lives since winning the award. This month: An accomplished author of test-prep books and an architect who headed to China when the American economy turned sour.

| Aug 20, 2013

Top Data Center Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]

Corgan, Gensler, HDR head Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest data center architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.

| Aug 20, 2013

First look: $550 million Billie Jean King National Tennis Center renovation

The United States Tennis Association has announced its plans for a sweeping transformation of the USTABillie Jean King National Tennis Center that will include the construction of two new stadiums, as well as a retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium.  The transformation will be implemented in three phases to begin at the conclusion of the 2013 US Open, with the goal of overall completion by the 2018 US Open.

| Aug 15, 2013

Design-build project delivery holds steady at nearly 40% of nonresidential construction: DBIA study

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), the only organization that defines, teaches and promotes best practices in design-build, has released research indicating that design-build project delivery represents nearly 40 percent of total market share in the United States, based on dollar value at the end of 2012. 

| Aug 14, 2013

Five projects receive 2013 Educational Facility Design Excellence Award

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) has selected five educational and cultural facilities for this year’s CAE Educational Facility Design Awards.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Great Solutions

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021