Judges Award: Outstanding Community Contribution Outstanding Green Building Project
Gold: Outstanding Community Contribution U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Research Support FacilitySubmitted by Haselden Construction The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is the primary lab in the U.S. for renewable-energy and energy-efficiency research and development. The Research Support Facility integrates high-performance building design and construction practices. It is registered to obtain LEED-Platinum certification and expected to become an industry-changing project—a new model for large-scale, net-zero-energy buildings. The building is a living laboratory for NREL researchers who are continually monitoring the building’s performance.
The energy model drove the design of the RSF. The lazy-H configuration allows daylight to penetrate the workspaces. A bridge connects two narrow, multi-story office wings. In addition to the maximization of daylighting, energy-efficient features include: under-floor air-distribution systems, radiant heating and cooling; an underground thermal labyrinth, triple-pane windows, next-generation, high-efficiency data center, solar panel roofs and occupant/system-controlled windows.