CLMP is a showcase for innovative research in the field of sustainable engineering. The building itself is an Ecolab, a living laboratory and teaching tool focused on the development and testing of green building technologies in four key areas including energy from renewable sources, fuel cells and bio-fuels, air and water hydrogen production and development of innovative materials for green processes. At every scale, from the individual research station to the campus open space system, this building sets new precedents for sustainable design.
The pavilion is an addition to the neo-Gothic Spencer Engineering Building built in the early 1960’s. It creates a new dramatic public face to the engineering school, forms a new central atrium between the two structures and frames the Eco-Court, a landscaped area designed as an educational tool as well as a social space. Within the courtyard, a pair of geothermal wells with integrated monitors allows students to study geothermal performance under various conditions.
Student laboratories monitor building systems and other dynamic forces within the structure observing effects on building performance. Sensors measure air flow around the building, carbon dioxide levels produced by a given number of people in a particular room and window coating efficiencies. At roof level, a demonstration lab showcases sustainable building technologies. The mechanical and electrical distribution systems are exposed throughout the building and designed as visible features that demonstrate energy consumption, infrastructure and building requirements. A less obvious sustainable strategy is the “lab loft” concept, extensive use of adaptable, modular laboratory systems that allow easy reconfiguration and facilitates a dynamic approach to research. Photo-voltaic arrays and a wind turbine provide about 7KW of electricity for the building.
The atrium and the adjacent entry lobby provide opportunities for casual exchange between faculty and students as well as space for special events and the display of student projects. The main floor of the atrium is dominated by a living wall, a variety of plant species arranged vertically in tiers of growing medium that filter rain water into a large fish tank, maintained as part of a student project. Throughout the building, every opportunity has been taken to maximize access to natural daylight and views.
The design supports a collaborative and multidisciplinary environment with students from the four major engineering disciplines of civil & environmental, mechanical & materials, electrical & computer and chemical & biochemical. Within the building, these disciplines share research laboratories, office space, graduate student offices and a range of common services and amenities.
