A Case Study in Sustainable High-Performance Laboratory Design: Genzyme Science Center
Mario Loiacono, Jr., Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers, LLC
Jeffreys Johnson, ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge
Lisa Hartman, Genzyme Corporation
Genzyme Corporation's (Genzyme's) new 177,000-square-foot science center is a world-class laboratory facility dedicated to key research in the areas of genetic diseases, cancer, immunologic diseases, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, endocrinology, and neurological disorders. Completed in 2007, the new building was designed to consolidate various research groups located within six different buildings in three towns into one flexible, safe, and comfortable environment for employees.
Consistent with Genzyme's commitment to the environment and corporate responsibility, the science center was the initial thrust into the era of sustainable design and carbon footprint reduction on Genzyme's campus in Framingham, Massachusetts. It also serves as a benchmark for similar, high-performance facilities by demonstrating the potential of green design for research buildings.
Designed based on Labs21 guidelines for laboratory design, the new science center has been certified LEED® Gold and was one of the first 10 laboratory facilities in the country to achieve this rating. Overall, the building was expected to reduce energy consumption by 26 percent compared with conventional buildings of its kind.
The focus of this presentation will be to share and evaluate the key architectural and engineering design concepts leading to the success of this facility. Original energy models estimated performance expectations in 1,000 British thermal units per square feet per year and the equivalent carbon footprint. These benchmarks will be compared with the measured building performance results more than one year after occupancy. Utilizing a variety of tools and actual metering results from the building, this presentation will explore the effect that energy-efficient design has had so far on a laboratory building of this scale.
The project began with the construction of a central utility building housing chillers, boilers, and emergency generators to service seven buildings on Genzyme's Framingham campus. (The building was planned to service five existing buildings, the new science center, and the future addition of another ~170,000-square-foot research building.) The impetus for this effort was to increase the reliability of building services and to reduce the precinct's energy use and carbon footprint by replacing inefficient building chillers and boilers.
Ultimately, the design team worked together to maintain a balance between building functionality, architectural and engineering design, project delivery schedule, and project budget—all in pursuit of sustainable goals. This presentation will look back on the project and quantitatively evaluate accomplishments, as well as identify "lessons learned" in order to move forward and explore additional steps to improve performance on the next project.
Biographies:
Mario Loiacono, Jr., a principal at Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers, LLC, has more than 30 years of experience in the design of industrial and academic research and laboratory facilities. As a LEED Accredited Professional, he brings his national experience and knowledge of sustainability issues to major projects. Mr. Loiacono is a regular contributor to professional symposia including the Labs21 Annual Conference and Tradeline Forums on Industry. Mr. Loiacono is a Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer and an active member of ASHRAE and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering. Mr. Loiacono was the principal in charge of the new Genzyme Science Center and is currently in the design phase of their next Research Laboratory Facility, Building 68.
Jeffreys Johnson, a principal at ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge with more than 30 years of experience, specializes in highly complex and technically challenging projects, with particular emphasis on corporate laboratory projects, from master planning through lab programming and building design. Having been involved with ongoing master plans for two of Genzyme's Massachusetts campuses, Mr. Johnson most recently served as principal in charge on Genzyme's new science center and is currently leading Genzyme's new Allston Landing Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Facility expansion. Mr. Johnson is a graduate Cornell University School of Architecture and a Registered Architect. He is also an active participant in AIA and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering.
Lisa Hartman is a principle engineer with the Corporate Environmental Department at Genzyme Corporation. Her international industry experience includes engineering consulting, manufacturing, and utility companies. At Genzyme Corporation, Lisa provides technical engineering and environmental compliance support to over 30 Genzyme manufacturing and laboratory facilities worldwide. As part of Genzyme's commitment to green sustainable design, Ms. Hartman has been active in the new construction and renovation of commercial interiors including laboratories. Of notable interest, is the 2008 completion and LEED-NC gold certification of a new six-story Science Center in Framingham, MA.
Ms. Hartman has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical/petroleum and natural gas engineering from Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Science in environmental engineering from Northeastern University, and a Master of Business Administration from Babson College.