BEERC Project Underway in Vernal
Gramoll Construction of North Salt Lake City is the builder for the Bingham Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center, the flagship building for the newly designated Uintah Basin Campus of Utah State University in Vernal, Utah. Also involved on the project is architect CRSA of Salt Lake City. The project, which is aiming for LEED Silver rating from USGBC, is a 70,000-sq-ft, two-story building that will house the BEERC as well as multi-disciplinary educational and research lab facilities. The center will support local small businesses by offering centralized facilities and services in order to support the synergy required for small businesses to survive and flourish. Teaching laboratories will support under-graduate and graduate level classes for chemistry, geology, biology and natural resources disciplines with separate research labs supporting faculty and corporate research in the area of existing and renewable energy systems.
The building is organized around a central east-west spine which features an open central staircase and clerestory. This spine will link all functions of the building, including the center, dean’s suite, registration area, teaching and research labs, also many study and interaction areas for faculty, staff and students. Exterior materials include stone, brick, high-performance metal panels and glazing systems in a color pallet which is sympathetic to the unique surrounding mountains of Vernal and the Uintah Basin. Extensive use of clerestories, transoms and skylights maximize the use of natural daylight.
The $19 million project is slated for completion in August 2010.
