“AEI was tasked with design of a consistent natural ventilation system that would create comfort and instill confidence in this type of system in future campus buildings. We chose to employ a menu of technologies to maximize overall system performance. In fact, we introduced phase change materials to the project relatively late in the game as an insurance policy in managing load.”
Bruce, PE, LEED®AP
AEI Project Manager
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Molecular Engineering & Sciences Building
Groundbreaking materials and technologies. Groundbreaking research. AEI directed sustainable engineering strategies for the University of Washington's 90,000 sf Molecular Engineering & Sciences Building projected to dramatically reduce office cooling energy. As the first molecular engineering-dedicated facility in the U.S., the building co-locates researchers in six specialized disciplines in a highly integrative setting, characterized by immediate lab/office adjacencies. Sustainable components of the project include chilled beams, runaround, variable stack velocity capability, low-flow variable volume fume hoods, a radiant floor heating system, daylighting, natural ventilation enhanced with solar chimneys, and phase change materials to enhance night purge strategies. Integrated into drywall and ceiling clouds, phase change materials extend the ability to ride through a period of high ambient temperature with a fraction of the thermal mass otherwise necessary. Overall building energy savings are significantly augmented by modular heat recovery chillers that simultaneously provide cooling to lab equipment and chilled beams, then transferring and upgrading otherwise wasted heat to building heating and hot water systems. Opening in 2012, the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Building will house research ranging from drug delivery systems that mimic molecular and cellular processes to microscopic solar cells that can be incorporated into building materials.
Services: Mechanical, Electrical, Piping/Plumbing, Technology, Architectural Lighting Design, Cost Estimating, Master Planning, Sustainability
Size: 90,000 sf
Location: Seattle, WA
Architect: Zimmerman Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP
LEED® Status: LEED® Registered
Natural Ventilation Goals, Lab Airflow Requirement >> Phase Change Materials: The Science Before the Engineering >>
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