The SEL building will be a new interdisciplinary College of Engineering laboratory building serving as a national hub to accelerate clean energy research and educate tomorrow’s sustainable engineering workforce. The approximately 78,000 GSF structure will provide immersive labs and learning spaces that prepare the next generation, foster collaboration, enable discovery and design, and serve as a test bed for technologies that address real-world sustainability challenges. These spaces will include dry and wet experimental labs, faculty offices, meetings spaces, classrooms, and a learning commons.
As a cutting-edge living laboratory and energy efficient facility, the building will be designed as LEED Platinum® and a net zero carbon emissions building in keeping with Executive Order 594 (2021). The SEL also incorporates several sustainable design features, including: (1) a smart microgrid to couple new renewable energy generation and storage technologies for real-life use and (2) an energy operations center that will integrate energy data from campus and the surrounding region to study and implement sustainable solutions. The project will also incorporate ground-source heat exchange and a high-performance envelope. A new energy exchange center (EEC) will be established by installing new heat pump equipment within the (E) North Plant, and new underground low temperature hot water (LTHW) distribution will be provided approximately 10 feet away from the proposed SEL project site. A new geothermal vertical well field will be established on the north side of Governor's drive including parking lots 26, 31, and 68 and tie into the new system via underground distribution between parking lots and the new EEC.
Status: Design Phase
Completion Date: Summer 2026
Size: 78,000 GSF
Design Team: Payette
Project Manager: Blair Nahm
Perspective of the South Entrance of the SEL building
Location:
In area roughly bounded by Lot 65 to the west, Goessmann Laboratory to the east, the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences to the south, and the Knowles Engineering Building to the north (identified in CMP as Academic Research/ Physical Sciences building)
2012 CMP Academic Research / Physical Science Building Site
Proposed SEL Building Site Plan