flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Western Washington University will be home to Washington State’s first carbon neutral college building

Sustainability

Western Washington University will be home to Washington State’s first carbon neutral college building

Perkins&Will is designing the building.


By David Malone, Managing Editor | February 7, 2022
WWU carbon neutral building
Images courtesy Perkins&Will

Western Washington University is in the final stages of its capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of a new computer science and engineering facility that will include the first net-zero energy/carbon neutral building on a college campus in Washington state.

Designed by Perkins&Will and located on the south end of the main campus, the building will house the university’s advanced technology and engineering programs, including electrical and computer engineering, computer science, and the Institute for Energy Studies, as well as a multicultural student center. The mass timber facility will include a welcoming, accessible layout meant to accommodate an increasingly diverse population of students and support the learning styles of all.

WWU carbon neutral building interior

Sustainability features will include:

  • 100% of the energy consumed by the building will be renewable 
  • Advanced battery technology to provide on-site energy storage
  • Architectural design that includes a high efficiency energy envelope and maximizes illumination and shading
  • High embodied carbon structure through sustainably sourced Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)
  • Smart Building technologies and controls, as well as high efficiency electric heating and cooling
  • A construction management process that reduces waste and transportation inefficiency

“The building will represent the next generation of STEM facilities, merging electrical engineering and computer science learning with active industry engagement and collaboration,” said Anthony Gianopoulos, Principal and Operations Director at Perkins&Will, in a release. 

 

Related Stories

Building Owners | Feb 4, 2021

The Weekly show, Feb 4, 2021: The rise of healthy buildings and human performance

This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from Brookfield Properties, NBBJ, and UL about healthy buildings certification and improving human performance through research-based design.

Sustainability | Jan 19, 2021

Buildings as carbon banks

Leveraging design to reduce our carbon impact.

Sustainable Design and Construction | Nov 17, 2020

A digital catalog offers mass timber solutions for greener urban construction

Hybrid designs reconcile metropolitan growth and lower CO2 emissions.

Sustainability | Nov 11, 2020

Passive house design: A key to sustainable community building

Passive House is a high-performance building standard that emphasizes tightly insulated enclosures, heat recovery, and monitors airflow to reduce energy consumption.

Sustainability | Sep 30, 2020

U.S. Green Building Council, Green Business Certification Inc. expand resilience resources to support the green building industry

LEED and GBCI rating systems drive resilience-enhancing strategies to help businesses and governments mitigate climate risks.

Sustainability | Aug 13, 2020

The largest single sloped solar array in the country completes

The installation sits atop Pittsburgh’s Mill 19.

Sustainability | Aug 11, 2020

Sustainability is key for Denver Water’s modernized campus and distribution system

The utility is showcasing a new admin building and a water reuse plan that’s a first for the state.

Sponsored | Voice of the Brand | Jul 2, 2020

Solving the Building Envelope Challenge

Today, solutions for the building envelope need to meet exacting standards on two equally important fronts – long-term performance and enduring aesthetic appeal. In this article, CENTRIA demonstrates how its products meet the standard in two different scenarios – construction of a new hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, and the addition to a popular museum in Pittsburgh. 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Sustainable Design and Construction

Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure

Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.



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