The Princeton University Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment is a complex energy research facility whose mission is to solve problems of energy efficiency and sustainability.

The center comprises a series of interlocking buildings under one roof. At 129,000 sq ft, the center’s interior spaces include offices for administration and faculty, an auditorium, laboratory classrooms and a clean room research area. The clean rooms, which are the most technically sophisticated spaces, filter out microscopic airborne particulates, which is necessary for nanotechnology research and fabrication and for the majority of the center’s research initiatives.

Spread over two levels, the clean room includes a unique elevator system that allows users to move between floors without the need to leave or re-enter the clean spaces.

The site required more than 20 ft of excavation to accommodate the building’s first floor, due to its position on granite bedrock. The proximity to neighboring research facilities and private homes required the use of  a mechanical rock grinding system to avoid excessive noise in removing the bedrock.

Each building was made from architecturally cast concrete, and energy efficient water, cooling and heat systems were installed to minimize the facility’s environmental footprint. The positioning of the gardens allows natural light to filter into the building’s basement-level first floor, reducing the need for artificial light.

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