Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center
Merit Award // Excellence in Architecture Design
Architect // HGA
GC // Turner Construction Company
MEP/FP Engineer // Van Zelm
Civil/Survey Engineer // Engineering Ventures
Structural Engineer // LeMessurier
Geotechnical Engineer // Dartmouth
Audio/Visual Consultant // Cavanaugh Tocci
Landscape Architect // Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.
Building Envelope // Building Enclosure Associates
Cost Estimating // Turner Construction
Description
The LEED Platinum-certified Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center fulfills an acute space demand for innovative engineering and computer science research atDartmouth College. Programming includes teaching in biotech, energy technologies, cyber-security, and other areas of research that contribute to the advancement of knowledge and problem solving. The building's design fosters collaboration to promote synergies between fields that spark discovery and solutions to global science and engineering challenges. The central atrium forms the social hub of the Center, providing many collaboration and soft spaces. Interiors evoke openness and transparency, allowing researchers, students, and visitors to view the work happening within the labs. The building is designed to take advantage of the campus context of brick academic, research, and student residential life structures. Fitting comfortably within this context, the building reflects a balance between the expression of contemporary research environments and respect for traditional building typologies.
Jury Comments
Another forward-looking and distinct campus node to the same campus as Irving Institute, here juries were most impressed with the project’s interior spaces, in particular, the central atrium social hub space.
The building’s bent-bar massing serves to break down the exterior scale of one of the campus’s largest buildings while creating a dynamic and theatrical interior space fostering interaction and collaboration. The interplay between exterior form and interior space is strong, creating perspectival drama reminiscent of the seemingly organic twists and turns a medieval piazza might take – daylighting, natural materials, an interesting vertical pathway meandering through the space, and an abundance of places to dwell and linger seem to deliver on providing a place where people want to be.
With below-grade parking and loading dock, this project also makes significant investment towards making the campus more pedestrian friendly. All the while achieving LEED Platinum certification - in a building type which is challenging to do so, to say the least – achieving usage reductions of 35% in water and 55% in energy.
The jury recognizes the Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center with a Merit Award.
Photo credit: Antin Grassl
Irving Institute for Energy and Society
Merit Award // Excellence in Architecture Design
Architect // Goody Clancy
GC // Turner Construction Company
Civil Engineer // Engineering Ventures
Structural Engineer // LeMessurier
MEP/FP Engineer // vanZelm
AV/IT/Security/Acoustics Engineer // Acentech
Landscape Architect // Michael Van Valkenbirgh Associates
Lighting Design // Horton Lees Brogden
Sustainability Consultant // TransSolar
Building Envelope Consulting // 3ive
Cost Consultant // Faithful + Gould
Description
The Irving Institute for Energy and Society is a new entity at DartmouthCollege. It seeks toadvance a positive energy future through education and research encompassing thetechnical, political, policy, ethical, and social aspects of energy. The Institute’s new buildingbrings together faculty and students from across the campus to collaborate on diverseresearch projects. The design prioritizes interdisciplinary collaboration, maximum flexibility,exemplary energy performance, and serving as a tool for sustainable design research andeducation. The Institute’s new home has the highest energy performance on campus. It isnet-zero-ready and targets an EUI of 18kBtu/sf/yr—an 88% reduction below the 2030baseline—thanks to design strategies including natural ventilation, radiant heating/cooling,extensive daylighting, integrated/automatic sun-shading, and a robust envelope. Thebuilding is a teaching and research tool; it encourages occupants to connect their ownbehavior with the building’s energy performance, and operations data will fuel futureinstitute research.
Jury Comments
Jurors felt the Irving Institute significantly improved this campus’s environs. While relating well to the context of traditional buildings, a bold brush stroke of contrasting clarity in a glass lantern provides a strong visual terminus to Tuck Mall. The jury further appreciated how this new building worked as an ensemble with an existing building - to frame a dynamic, welcoming, and sociable interior atrium space while giving a new front to the existing Murdough Hall. The moves represented solid place-making that is at play here.
As a campus beacon, the jury also admired the robust high performance – net-zero ready, thoughtful passive strategies, an 88% reduction of EUI 2030 baseline – demonstrating attributes of a better way. The Institute is the highest-performing building on campus and is poised to inspire future generations of leaders to make needed change in this world. From the project description:
“The design prioritizes interdisciplinary collaboration, maximum flexibility, and exemplary energy performance, and the building serves as a tool for sustainable design research and education.”
The jury recognizes Irving Institute of Energy and Society with a Merit Award.
Photo credit: Chuck Choi