Laboratory design: carbon reduction strategies

Michigan State University, STEM Complex

Driving down carbon emissions through design innovation

Ellenzweig’s design approach is geared to achieve a significant reduction in the operational and embodied carbon emissions of our buildings.  The overall goal is to reduce both to achieve the lowest total carbon profile for the building over its entire lifespan.

Rethinking construction (embodied carbon)

Lab buildings are characterized by intensive structural framing, robust finishes, and intricate mechanical systems.  Lab building columns, beams, and foundations are designed for vibration performance, and thus are inherently heavier per square foot than those in office buildings.  Additionally, the finishes and built-in casework in lab facilities are far more substantial compared to their office counterparts.  These unique characteristics of lab buildings make them significantly more carbon intensive than other building types.

“Embodied carbon” refers to the carbon emissions created by mining, manufacturing, and transporting materials for buildings, as well as the emissions released by the constructing of buildings with those materials.

Image from CarbonCure

We focus on key innovative approaches to construction and material selection to drive down the embodied carbon of our buildings:

  • New building vs. renovation: evaluate the environmental impact of new construction versus renovating existing structures to minimize carbon emissions.
  • Materials optimization: utilize low-carbon alternatives such as low-carbon concrete and steel, optimize glazing and envelope design, and choose finishes and casework with lower carbon footprints.
  • Carbon-storing materials: embrace materials like wood and bio-based products, including mass timber, which have the capacity to store carbon over their lifecycle.
  • Futureproofing: design laboratories and other facilities with an eye toward adaptability to accommodate future changes with minimal renovation.

Rethinking the laboratory building

The STEM Complex at Michigan State University is the campus’s dynamic hub for science education.  The Complex comprises two new teaching lab wings (121,300 gsf), an entry atrium/classroom addition (13,300 gsf), and the adaptive reuse of a decommissioned Power Plant (48,600 gsf).  The Complex was at its time of completion the first large-scale mass timber project in Michigan, and one of the first mass timber laboratories in the world.

The Complex utilizes mass timber framing because of its low embodied carbon characteristics.  A conventional steel frame would have required 24 times the amount of embodied carbon.  In total, the mass timber components sequester 1,856 metric tons of CO2.

 

New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, Plant Science Building Renovation

Renovating to renew science facilities

The renovation of the historic 165,000 square foot Plant Science Building provides the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) at the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University with a revitalized home for its next century of research and teaching.  The renovation minimizes embodied carbon expenditures through preservation and reuse of much of the original building, extensive recycling of construction waste, and specification of low-carbon interior materials.  The design includes strategies to reduce operational energy to a “net-zero-ready” energy use intensity of 91 kBTU/sf/yr.

From energy efficiency to zero carbon design (operational carbon)

Laboratory buildings continue to be energy- and carbon-intensive to operate.  Labs use energy very differently than other buildings.  For example, where office buildings focus mechanical systems on keeping occupants comfortable, labs use ventilation to minimize occupant exposure to laboratory chemicals.  For this and other reasons, significant energy use is a critical requirement for labs.  And because our energy sources still rely mainly on burning fossil fuels, this energy use results in carbon emissions.

Operational carbon refers to the carbon emitted when creating the energy used by buildings.  For example, this may come from burning natural gas to provide building electricity, heating, cooling, and ventilation.

 

Labs present a great opportunity for carbon-efficient design.  There are many amazing new strategies for energy efficiency and carbon reduction.  We know this topic can be very complicated and we enjoy getting into the details.  But overall, we focus on a few simple concepts for driving down the operational carbon of our buildings:

  • Demand reduction: optimize air changes and fume hood types to reduce energy demand.
  • Passive design strategies: orient buildings strategically, optimize window-to-wall ratios, and invest in high-performance building envelopes to minimize the need for active heating and cooling.
  • Energy efficiency: implement energy recovery systems and heat shift chillers to maximize the efficiency of HVAC systems.
  • Electrification: transition to electric heating and cooling solutions such as air-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps to avoid use of fossil fuels.
  • Renewable energy: integrate renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, complemented by energy storage solutions such as batteries to meet building energy needs sustainably.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Science and Engineering Building

An example of a project utilizing low energy design, renewable energy integration, and resilient design is the Science and Engineering Building at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts.   The building has a projected energy use intensity (pEUI) of 48-55 kBTU/sf/yr, an amazing 79% lower than the average of existing similar buildings.  The Science and Engineering Building achieves exceptional energy efficiency by employing many strategies, from optimized air change rates to filtering fume hoods to advanced mechanical systems.  Additionally, it is an all-electric building, with geothermal heating and cooling.  The project is net-zero-ready, needing only to increase renewable energy supply to cover the electrical demand.