Arizona State University’s Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 7, completed in December 2021, was constructed with numerous innovative sustainability elements.
The building team worked to support ASU’s carbon neutrality by 2035 goal. It took a holistic approach to sustainability and carbon neutrality on all decisions, according to GC McCarthy Building Companies. The result is a building with an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) that is roughly 50% below baseline.
The $192 million, 281,000 sf, high-performance research facility fosters an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge generation and leading-edge research, including the sustainable use of food, water, and energy. Labs include spaces for biological sciences, engineering, life sciences, and sustainability, as well as dry lab space for computing, cyber-security, engineering design and fabrication, and robotics.
Notable sustainability features include:
- 42-foot architectural columns elevate the building entrance, creating significant shade areas and positioning the building to capture wind for natural ventilation.
- Radiant cooling system combines chilled beams, chilled ceilings, and chilled sails, providing comfort for occupants and supporting low-flow ventilation.
- Water efficiency strategies include: Use of Arizona’s Salt River Project non-potable canal water on the site’s landscape; water-saving drip irrigation and “smart” irrigation controls; hardscape designed so all rainfall conveys to planting areas; and the capture of mechanical system condensate water to irrigate plants.
- A 40% fly ash concrete mix that met structural integrity measures and provides a consistent aesthetic finish.
- First building in Arizona to use BubbleDeck, a void form structural deck system that uses a patented integration technique linking air, steel, and concrete in a two-way structural slab, resulting in less concrete and a lighter structure and foundation system.
- Inspired by self-shading pleats of the Sonoran cactus, the exterior skin takes shape in large GFRC rainscreen panels over a prefabricated building envelope. Skin sensors installed around the exterior track heat transfer throughout building’s lifecycle.
The structure now serves as the gateway to the Arizona State University Tempe campus and faces one of the busiest intersections in the Metro Phoenix area. The building will house Global Futures, the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service, School of Sustainability, and the Institute of Human Origins, in addition to public outreach and exhibit space. The building will also include classrooms and a conference center with a 389-seat presentation hall.
Owner and/or developer: Arizona State University
Design architect: Architekton l Grimshaw
Architect of record: Architekton l Grimshaw
MEP engineer: BuroHappold Engineering
Structural engineer: BuroHappold Engineering
General contractor/construction manager: McCarthy Building Companies
Sustainability Consultants: Thornton Tomasetti
Related Stories
| Mar 1, 2012
Cornell shortlists six architectural firms for first building on tech campus
Each of the firms will be asked to assemble a team of consultants and prepare for an interview to discuss their team’s capabilities to successfully design the university’s project.
| Feb 22, 2012
Perkins Eastman expands portfolio in China and Vietnam
Recent awards, project progress signal ongoing commitment to region.
| Jan 4, 2012
Shawmut Design & Construction awarded dorm renovations at Brown University
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2012, and will be completed by December 2012.
| Dec 27, 2011
BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit update
The two-day Under 40 Leadership Summit continued with a Leadership Style interactive presentation; Great Solutions presentations from Under 40 attendees; the Owner’s Perspective panel discussion; and the Blue Ocean Strategy presentation.
| Dec 20, 2011
Gluckman Mayner Architects releases design for Syracuse law building
The design reflects an organizational clarity and professional sophistication that anticipates the user experience of students, faculty, and visitors alike.
| Dec 10, 2011
BIM tools to make your project easier to manage
Two innovations—program manager Gafcon’s SharePoint360 project management platform and a new BIM “wall creator” add-on developed by ClarkDietrich Building Systems for use with the Revit BIM platform and construction consultant—show how fabricators and owner’s reps are stepping in to fill the gaps between construction and design that can typically be exposed by working with a 3D model.
| Dec 5, 2011
Fraser Brown MacKenna wins Green Gown Award
Working closely with staff at Queen Mary University of London, MEP Engineers Mott MacDonald, Cost Consultants Burnley Wilson Fish and main contractor Charter Construction, we developed a three-fold solution for the sustainable retrofit of the building.
| Dec 2, 2011
What are you waiting for? BD+C's 2012 40 Under 40 nominations are due Friday, Jan. 20
Nominate a colleague, peer, or even yourself. Applications available here.
| Dec 2, 2011
Goody Clancy awarded Ohio State residential project
The project, which is focused on developing a vibrant on-campus community of learning for OSU undergraduates.
| Nov 18, 2011
Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability opens
Designed to exceed LEED Platinum, the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) is one of the most innovative and high performance buildings in North America today, demonstrating leading-edge green building design products, technologies, and systems.
