contents
S
u
m
m
a
r
y
The Pharmaceutical Research Institute in La Jolla, California, is a
123,000-square-foot laboratory and office building completed in
1999. Among the energy efficiency measures included in the
building are systems for limiting energy waste associated with its
92 fume hoods and its air handling, space conditioning, and light-
ing systems. As a result, smaller-than-usual chillers and fans were
employed, which both saved on first costs and will lower energy
bills over the life of the building. Despite employing the most
energy-efficient motors and other equipment available, the build-
ing cost only 1 percent more than other new laboratory/office
facilities built to the minimum requirements of California’s Title 24
energy standards.
Johnson & Johnson has over 250 business campuses worldwide,
and the company has made a commitment to aggressively pursue
energy efficiency wherever it makes sense. All new J&J buildings
are subject to the company’s “New Facilities Design Criteria.”
Design teams are required to adopt the energy efficiency mea-
sures specified or make a persuasive case for exceptions.
This “design for the long term” philosophy was successfully
employed in the design and construction of the Pharmaceutical
Research Institute facility. In addition to housing state-of-the-art
biological and chemical laboratories, the building is quite com-
fortable and attractive. It thus serves as a catalyst in recruiting new
scientific talent.
building case study
energy
design
resources
Introduction
2
The Building Program
4
The Design Process
7
Overview of the PRI Facility’s
Energy Efficiency Features
12
HVAC Systems
16
Laboratory Fume Hoods
23
Water Conservation
28
What Didn’t Make the
Cut? (And Why?)
30
What Should Have Made the Cut? 31
Conclusions
32
Appendix: Details from J&J’s New
Facility Design Criteria
34
biotech lab and office
The R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical
Research Institute
pg_0002
page
2
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
I
n
t
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n
The R. W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute (PRI), owned by
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and located in La Jolla, California, is a state-of-
the-art, 123,000-square-foot research and office facility completed in 1999
(Figure 1). Only a mile from the Pacific Ocean, the building functions
well, provides a comfortable working environment for hundreds of biolo-
gists and chemists, and is aesthetically appealing. However, its energy bills
are a fraction of what a standard structure built to meet California’s Title
24 Energy Efficiency Standards would be, yet it cost no more than ordi-
nary structures of its kind to build.
J&J, which operates more than 250 facilities the world over, has a strong
corporate commitment to building structures that are energy efficient,
long-lasting, and inexpensive to maintain. Accordingly, the company has
developed an energy efficiency document titled “New Facility Design
Criteria.” Expressed in an easy-to-use spreadsheet, the design criteria
address all energy-relevant elements of new building design in careful
detail. Architectural and engineering firms that produce facilities for J&J are
PRI’s energy bills are a frac-
tion of what a standard
structure merely built to
meet California’s Title 24
Energy Efficiency Standards
would be, yet it cost little
more than ordinary struc-
tures of its kind to build.
Photos courtesy of Financial Times Energy
The PRI facility exterior
Figure 1:
The front exterior of the PRI facility balances functionality and aesthetics with elements that
convey a sense of permanence, such as beautiful stone facades.
pg_0003
page
3
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
charged with developing building designs that are consistent with the
“New Facility Design Criteria”—or to make a case for specific exceptions.
The default is to do things in accordance with J&J’s doctrine.
At the beginning of the building design process, the team hired by J&J
specified a number of features typical of standard practice, speculatively
developed research and development buildings in the fast-growing indus-
trial area of La Jolla. However, when they found that J&J “is in it for the
long term,” as Thornton Lewis, J&J’s project manager, puts it, “The design
firm became very positive about adopting our long-term view.”
The long-term view involved careful computer modeling of the entire
structure and weighting each building system element, both as a whole
and in part, for lifetime cost. The result is a facility that employs premium
efficiency motors, energy efficient lighting, a zoning strategy that limits sin-
gle-pass ventilation to only laboratory areas that really need it, occupancy
sensors for lights and fume hoods, and a host of other energy-saving
strategies. Since the above measures lower space conditioning energy
needs, much smaller than usual HVAC equipment is employed, and the
money saved substantially offsets additional expenses for the other ener-
gy efficiency measures.
Scientists and office personnel, as well as the person who was slated to
become head of maintenance of the new structure, were part of the design
process from the beginning (Figure 2, next page). This element of stake-
holder buy-in contributed substantially to producing a facility that capably
meets users’ needs. Further, the commissioning process—begun five
months prior to occupancy as systems came on line—ensured that glitch-
es were handled well before they became real problems and that training
of the maintenance team was thorough.
The building achieves annual savings of $536,000 on its energy bill, com-
pared to the amount a standard laboratory would expect to pay. According
to a model used to estimate energy performance of new buildings
employed by the local utility, San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), a stan-
dard building would have used $1,432,000 per year, 37 percent more than
“The design firm became
very positive about adopt-
ing our long-term view.”
—Thornton Lewis
Johnson & Johnson
pg_0004
page
4
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
the J&J building. Based upon its exemplary energy performance, the build-
ing owners were awarded $143,000 for their inventiveness from SDG&E.
T
h
e
B
u
i
l
d
i
n
g
P
r
o
g
r
a
m
The PRI laboratory and office facility project was conceived by J&J to
replace a leased facility in the area that was used as a biology lab for the
previous 10 years. With the lease coming to an end, as well as a need to
expand the facility to accommodate more chemists and biologists, J&J
decided to build a new facility designed from the ground up to best meet
present and future needs (Figures 3 and 4). J&J started planning the pro-
ject in November of 1996, with the goal of moving workers into a fully
functional facility in mid-1999.
The building program called for space to accommodate about 250 occu-
pants, with the vast majority being scientists. The facility needed to sup-
port the wide variety of the scientists’ experiments, many of which take
place over an extended period and cannot be interrupted. The desire of
PRI maintenance team involved in the design process from the beginning
Figure 2:
Improved maintainability was achieved by involving the PRI maintenance team in the
design of key building systems. Pictured is facilities manager Steve Schuetzle.
pg_0005
page
5
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
Overhangs and setbacks reduce solar gain
F igure 3:
A climate-responsive building envelope reduces the need for heating and cooling at PRI.
An inviting and eff icient facility
F igure 4:
Natural and artificial light work together to illuminate the PRI lobby.
pg_0006
page
6
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
many scientists to work at any hour of the day or night required building
systems designed to accommodate diverse usage patterns.
Clearly, the laboratory spaces had to be the dominant feature of the build-
ing from both the standpoint of space planning and building system
design. The program called for 92, 8-foot-wide fume hoods to be installed
to support scientific research (Figure 5). The energy use and complexity
of the mechanical systems to support the hoods was a priority building
system the design team needed to accommodate.
The differing safety requirements for chemists and biologists also were a
major consideration. Chemists tend to deal with harsher chemicals and
thus prefer smaller, enclosed laboratory spaces that serve as a barrier to
help contain fumes from their experiments. The biologists, on the other
hand, do not usually work with extremely hazardous materials. They pre-
fer to work in more open spaces.
The project was also subject to some strict constraints on the form of the
building. Because of local building codes, there was a height limit imposed
The desire of many scien-
tists to work at any hour of
the day or night required
building systems designed
to accommodate diverse
usage patterns.
Laboratory mechanical systems are the centerpiece of PRI
Figure 5:
The 92 chemical fume hoods included in the PRI facility substantially impacted the
architectural, mechanical, and electrical design.
pg_0007
page
7
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
for the building. Code mandated that no part of the building could extend
more than 30 feet above grade level. This was particularly troublesome for
a laboratory building because traditional fume hood exhaust stacks rise 6
to 8 feet above the roofline in order to safely eject fumes away from the
building. Subtracting the stack height from the 30-foot allowance left an
insufficient amount of floor-to-floor height for a two-story structure, which
was a strongly favored building configuration.
The project also had other issues to deal with. In particular, the cost and
availability of potable water in San Diego was a concern—even though
water is available, conservation is a big issue in San Diego. J&J wanted to
be a good citizen when dealing with water issues, so company officials
made a commitment to consider using municipal reclaimed water and
water from building condensate whenever it could be justified. Thus, they
were able to save about 10 percent on water costs, and at the same time
demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship.
T
h
e
D
e
s
i
g
n
P
r
o
c
e
s
s
The design of the PRI facility exemplifies the practical application of an
integrated design process. Maximizing energy efficiency of the building as
a whole—as opposed to focusing on the efficiency of individual building
systems—was a goal established early on in the project.
Johnson & Johnson has had a formal energy program in place since 1972.
Conceived during the Arab oil embargo, J&J’s cumulative energy design
wisdom is collected in a best practices document that offers recommended
energy design guidelines for all major building systems. This repository of
design wisdom has been continually refined and updated over the years,
and the cost-effectiveness of most of its recommendations is time-tested
and well documented.
Although it may sound restrictive, J&J’s best practices document still
leaves plenty of freedom for the design team. “We establish guidelines, as
opposed to rigorous requirements,” notes John Mohn III, PE, J&J’s site
project manager. J&J does not force design professionals to implement
every item in the best practices document, although it is the design team’s
Maximizing energy efficiency
of the building as a whole—
as opposed to focusing on
the efficiency of individual
building systems—was a
goal established early on in
the project.
pg_0008
responsibility to make the case that a particular item is NOT cost-effec-
tive or should not be implemented for other reasons.
J&J also approaches cost-effectiveness questions from the standpoint of
life-cycle cost, instead of merely the simple payback for a particular build-
ing upgrade. Because J&J plans to stay in business for a long time—and
because it will be its own tenant at the PRI facility for the foreseeable
future—company officials base their decisions on the total benefit offered
by particular energy upgrades, not just how quickly they recover their
incremental investment.
The design team was selected based upon proven track records of deliv-
ering efficient design solutions for high technology buildings. The archi-
tectural firm for the project, Carrier Johnson of San Diego, was selected in
mid-1997. Carrier Johnson, in turn, brought in Bechard Long Associates of
San Diego to provide mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC control
system design services.
To get the design process off to a good start, J&J met with the PRI design
team early in the schematic design phase to conduct an initial screening
of each item in the J&J design guidelines. Using rule-of-thumb analysis,
they were able to get a preliminary indication of which measures would
pay off and which ones could not be justified. “We eventually ended up
with three categories of measures,” notes Lewis. “There were a number of
no-brainer measures that we absolutely planned to implement, and then
there was a second group of measures that appeared to be cost-effective,
but which would require more detailed analysis to make an informed deci-
sion. Finally, there were those that did not stand up to even the first-cut
screening, and were clearly not cost-effective for this facility.” High effi-
ciency illumination sources and indirect lighting fixtures were among the
first of the no-brainer items, which also included premium efficiency
motors, primary and secondary chilled water pumping systems, and
enthalpy-controlled air-side economizers. The list of measures that
required further study, however, was more extensive. Some of the mea-
sures that were studied in greater detail included:
Because J&J plans to stay in
business for a long time,
company officials base their
decisions on the total bene-
fit offered by particular ener-
gy upgrades, not just how
quickly they recover their
incremental investment.
page
8
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
pg_0009
Purchasing electric power at primary voltage (12,000 volts)
Single- versus dual-glazed windows and low-emissivity glazing.
Thermal energy storage
Air distribution: 100 percent outside air for lab spaces only, or for the
entire facility?
Variable-speed drives on pump and fan motors
Most of these measures were evaluated with a computer-based energy
model of the proposed facility. The mechanical engineers for the project
developed an energy model to quantify the benefits of the proposed effi-
ciency measures. This model allowed J&J to accurately assess how cer-
tain measures, such as dual-pane glazing, might reduce heating and cool-
ing loads and therefore the size of HVAC equipment installed to serve
those loads.
J&J also takes a real-world approach to accounting for facility operating
costs. Whereas many organizations allocate energy and maintenance
costs from separate budgets and have difficulty dealing with measures
that save in one category but cost more in the other, J&J budgets the two
together. This allows them to account for, as an example, the fact that T5
lamps provide energy savings and good light quality but cost more than
common T8 lamps. Many organizations—school districts are an exam-
ple—shy away from implementing energy efficiency measures that may
result in increased maintenance costs, even if net operating cost savings
result, because they will not have a sufficient maintenance budget for
upkeep of the systems. By taking a look at the big picture, J&J is able to
succeed at reducing total operational costs, as opposed to energy costs
alone.
As the project team created their first schematic design package, they
aimed at meeting rigid, low-budget criteria. J&J found that some budget-
driven building features were not consistent with their best practices
page
9
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
Whereas many organizations
allocate energy and mainte-
nance costs from separate
budgets and have difficulty
dealing with measures that
save in one category but cost
more in the other, J&J bud-
gets the two together.
pg_0010
guidelines. The early design schematic included the following energy-inef-
ficient features:
Incandescent lights in some spaces
Single pane windows
Chillers with standard efficiency, part-load performance.
“Energy efficient” instead of “premium efficiency” motors
Multiple motors on cooling tower fans in lieu of variable speed drives
J&J officials concluded that many of these features were standard practice
for similar buildings in the area. San Diego is a hotbed of the burgeoning
biotechnology industry, and La Jolla is considered to be a “Park Avenue”
address for biotech start-up companies. Such companies are usually fund-
ed by venture capital and have a high mortality rate that is largely tied to
whether they can successfully bring a product to market or obtain mean-
ingful patents before the funding runs out. Thanks to these financial and
temporal demons, most start-ups lease their office space on the basis of
low cost and immediate availability as opposed to long-term efficiency.
Thus, it follows that most research-oriented buildings for lease around the
PRI site are developed to cater to short-term needs and don’t include many
efficiency features. Once J&J’s long-term energy conservation mindset was
known, the design effort focused on energy-efficient, low maintenance
options.
Most architects and engineers are used to translating their clients’ (some-
times unrealistic) wishes into workable designs. In this case, the design
team was constantly challenged to produce “life-cycle effective” designs
by a savvy client with a wealth of corporate expertise.
J&J officials met with the design team to let them know that J&J is “in it
for the long term” and that they were sincere in their desire to follow the
corporate best practices to the greatest practical extent. With this affirma-
tion from the client, the design team went back to the boards to produce
an award-winning, energy-efficient building.
Most architects and engi-
neers are used to translating
their clients’(sometimes
unrealistic) wishes into
workable designs. In this
case, the design team was
constantly challenged to
produce "life-cycle effec-
tive" designs by a savvy
client with a wealth of cor-
porate expertise.
page
10
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
pg_0011
J&J was diligent throughout the design process to ensure that the design was
as good as it could be. Through each step of the design process, and in
cooperation with end users and the design and construction team, officials
asked themselves again and again:
Do our best practices requirements make sense?
Do we meet the requirements?
Are we over- or under-designed?
Are there any new opportunities?
What are the costs and benefits of the alternatives?
With J&J’s support and through the skill of the design team, the final
design achieved an impressive level of efficiency and did so within the
overall project budget. With the construction manager brought on board
in the third quarter of 1997, J&J broke ground on the PRI in the first quar-
ter of 1998. About a year later, building systems were commissioned as
they came on line.
Rudolph & Sletten (of Foster City, California, and San Diego), general con-
tractor on the PRI project, teamed up with the engineer to implement a
fully documented commissioning procedure in which each building sys-
tem was rigorously tested by itself under all sequences of operation. Once
all systems were shown to properly function individually, the facility was
subjected to a 72-hour functional test with all building systems in opera-
tion. With the deficiencies addressed and the project completed, PRI
employees moved in over Memorial Day in 1999.
When all was said and done, the PRI building’s impressive list of energy
efficiency and water conservation features resulted in an annual savings of
more than a half million dollars. This translates into:
Enough electricity to power 680 homes
Enough natural gas to heat 950 homes
page
11
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
With J&J’s support and
through the skill of the
design team, the final
design achieved an impres-
sive level of efficiency and
did so within the overall
project budget.
pg_0012
Reduced power plant emissions of 4.8 tons of nitrogen oxides per year,
2.1 tons of sulfur oxides per year, and 4,318 tons of carbon dioxide per
year
O
v
e
r
v
i
e
w
o
f
t
h
e
P
R
I
F
a
c
i
l
i
t
y
’
s
E
n
e
r
g
y
E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y
F
e
a
t
u
r
e
s
Energy-conscious design principles were applied to nearly all of the build-
ing systems at the PRI facility. The design wisdom embodied in J&J’s best
practices and in its corporate expertise includes the following elements:
R
e
d
u
c
e
l
o
a
d
s
f
i
r
s
t
.
Before any HVAC system efficiency measures are consid-
ered, J&J first works hard to reduce HVAC loads through application of
internal and external load reduction measures. These include efficient light-
ing, high performance glazing, occupancy sensors, sash position sensors on
fume hoods, and appropriate insulation. In particular, the company desires
measures that not only save energy by themselves but that also result in
downstream savings.
I
m
p
r
o
v
e
s
y
s
t
e
m
s
e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y
n
e
x
t
.
With heating and cooling loads reduced, the
design process then focuses on efficient strategies for delivering heating
and cooling to the building. Systems efficiency measures include low-pres-
sure ductwork, variable speed drives, premium efficiency motors on fans,
and advanced controls. Rather than oversize the HVAC systems so that
they never work too hard to provide comfort, J&J advocates “right sizing”
systems so that they provide efficient operation during three seasons, and
occasionally operate flat-out to meet peak loads in the heat of summer.
This reduces the size and cost of HVAC equipment, producing dollar sav-
ings that can be spent on more efficient equipment.
I
m
p
r
o
v
e
p
l
a
n
t
e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y
l
a
s
t
.
With loads minimized and efficient systems in
place, the crosshairs target the efficiency of plant equipment. As a result
of the good work done in previous steps, high efficiency chillers and boil-
ers can be purchased for little or no incremental cost when compared to
oversized, average efficiency models.
Following is an overview of the most notable features of the building
systems.
Systems efficiency mea-
sures include low-pressure
ductwork, variable speed
drives, premium efficiency
motors on fans, and
advanced controls.
page
12
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
pg_0013
B
u
i
l
d
i
n
g
e
n
v
e
l
o
p
e
.
The building is constructed of steel framing and curtain
wall (Figure 6). The walls are insulated only to the prescriptive levels
required by Title 24 for the San Diego climate—R-11 for walls and R-19 for
the roof. Though higher insulation levels were evaluated, they did not pro-
vide much energy savings in the mild La Jolla climate. A white reflective cap
sheet was installed on the roof, which both reduces the overall cooling load
for the facility and extends roof life because of the reduced roof tempera-
ture. This measure had no incremental cost associated with it; it was simply
a matter of selecting a material that was light and reflective.
The team evaluated dual-pane glazing—as an upgrade for the entire
project—but found the measure was too expensive relative to the savings
it would provide. In a late-night project meeting, J&J realized that dual
glazing was not an all-or-nothing proposition. The engineers suggested
glazing options for different orientations of the building and for offices
with exposures in several directions. As a result, a revised analysis was
prepared that addressed glazing issues on each facade of the building.
This led J&J to the decision to use dual-pane glazing on the east facade in
order to control morning sunlight and single-pane glazing on the other
facades.
I
n
t
e
r
i
o
r
l
i
g
h
t
i
n
g
s
y
s
t
e
m
s
.
Like most buildings that reach an exemplary level
of energy efficiency, the PRI facility features a highly efficient interior light-
ing system. This is a critical component of the whole building’s efficiency,
for two reasons:
page
13
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
The PRI facility rear exterior
Figure 6:
The back of the PRI facility. The walls and roof are insulated to conform to Title 24’s
provisions. Higher levels of insulation were deemed unnecessary in La Jolla’s mild climate.
pg_0014
1. Lighting energy use is huge. Lighting is the single largest energy end
use in most commercial buildings (though perhaps not for a laborato-
ry facility), accounting for anywhere between 25 and 50 percent of
overall energy use. In addition, even though T8 lamps and electronic
ballasts are standard practice for new lighting designs in California
today, there are still opportunities to significantly improve lighting effi-
ciency through a combination of good design and efficient technology.
Even though California’s 1998 Title 24 lighting efficiency standards are
already fairly stringent, they can still be beat by 30 percent or more,
which may translate into a load reduction of 0.30 to 0.50 watts per
square foot.
2. Lighting efficiency leads to downstream savings. The ample load
reductions that result from efficient lighting lead to reduced cooling
loads as well. As a result of reduced cooling and airflow requirements,
a series of “downstream” savings are generated, including smaller
ductwork, piping, air-handling units, and chillers. All of these down-
stream efficiency gains translate into reduced operating cost, as well as
construction cost savings for the smaller systems.
The interior lighting system at the PRI facility is designed around high-qual-
ity fluorescent sources that are applied to balance efficiency with visual
comfort. Pendant-mounted, indirect fixtures using T5 lamps and electronic
ballasts are used in most office spaces (Figure 7) in order to provide a uni-
form, glare-free environment. By bouncing light off the ceiling instead of
shining it directly into the workspace, a uniform level of illumination is
achieved instead of the checkerboard of bright and dark spots that typical-
ly result from direct lighting. Bouncing light off the ceiling also diffuses it
effectively, reducing glare on computer screens.
T5 lamps are quite intense when compared to other linear fluorescent
sources and consequently have enough punch to illuminate a space with
fewer fixtures than a system designed around T8 lamp technology. Even
though T5 fixtures are more expensive than similar configuration T8 mod-
els, in most cases the reduced number of fixtures offsets much of this
extra cost.
page
14
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
Even though T8 lamps and
electronic ballasts are stan-
dard practice for new light-
ing designs in California
today, there are still oppor-
tunities to significantly
improve lighting efficiency
through a combination of
good design and efficient
technology.
pg_0015
Traditional T8 lamps and electronic ballasts are employed in non-office
spaces. Compact fluorescent lamps installed in recessed fixtures are used
in some spaces as well. J&J proudly reports that, except for what is con-
tained in some specialized laboratory equipment, there is not a single
incandescent lamp used in the PRI facility.
Other noteworthy features of the lighting system include occupancy sen-
sors throughout the building and the use of radioactive (tritium) exit signs
that glow without a wired power source (Figure 8, next page). One main-
tenance worker noted that the energy savings for the exit signs are almost
inconsequential compared to the maintenance savings associated with not
having to replace ever-failing lamps.
Whereas using occupancy sensors in small, enclosed spaces is quite com-
mon in buildings today, J&J aggressively went after additional savings by
installing these devices in open office spaces, as well as in the usual pri-
vate offices, restrooms, and conference rooms. They report that the sen-
sors can work well in open spaces as long as the right technology is spec-
ified. Key design features that need to be matched include passive
page
15
Building Case Study: R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute
Indirect lighting balances comfort and eff iciency
Figure 7:
T5 lamps and electronic ballasts in pendant-mounted, indirect fixtures minimize glare by
bouncing light off the ceiling and then down to the occupants.
Even though T fixtures
are more expensive than
similar configuration T8
models, in most cases the
reduced number of fix-
tures offsets much of this
extra cost.
5
pg_0016
infrared, ultrasonic, or dual-technology sensors; configuration view angle
(the pattern that the sensor can “see”); and sensor placement (Figure 9).
J&J also addressed the efficiency of lighting at individual workstations by
providing T8 or T5 lamps for all task lighting.
H
V
A
C
S
y
s
t
e
m
s
Even though San Diego has a mild climate, heating or cooling is still need-
ed every month of the year. This is particularly true for a lab facility that
must be kept within a relatively narrow band of temperature and relative
humidity for experimental procedures.
Every laboratory in the building is designed as a “once-through” system that
brings in 100 percent outside air, runs it through the building to heat or cool
it, and then exhausts it all (Figure 10). This causes a lot of conditioned air
to be exhausted out of the building instead of being recirculated, resulting
in increased heating and cooling energy and higher energy cost. In response
to this, J&J decided to install a once-through system to serve laboratory
spaces and a recirculating system for office and administrative spaces. This
design minimizes energy waste by tailoring ventilation rates according to the
use of each space.
Most of the building is designed around single-duct variable air volume
(VAV) air handling systems, featuring central chilled water and hot water
Every laboratory in the
building is designed as a
“once through” system that
brings in 100 percent out-
side air, runs it through the
building to heat or cool