ASU's Biodesign Institute Earns Arizona's First LEED Platinum Rating

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has garnered the highest designation for environmentally friendly design and construction from the USGBC. The platinum certification for LEED was issued for Building B, which opened in 2006. This marks the first time a building in Arizona has received the platinum award.

Building A, which opened in 2004, received gold-level certification. The two buildings were constructed separately, but are connected on all levels by glass walkways.

The USGBC granted the certificates based on a stringent rating system that recognizes design and construction processes that minimize negative impact on the environment. So far, there are 40 platinum and 257 gold LEED certified buildings in the United States. ASU President Michael Crow has called for all new construction at the university to meet LEED standards.

“The certifications of both buildings A and B send a message that ASU leadership cares about the health of the buildings’ users and employees. Everyone’s comfort, safety and well-being will benefit from the fresh air and natural daylight,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. The Biodesign Institute facilities were designed by architectural team of Gould Evans+Lord, Aeck & Sargent. They were built via a joint venture of Sundt Construction and DPR Construction. Certification assistance was provided by Green Ideas. In addition to LEED certification, the team’s work won Biodesign the 2006 Lab of the Year award from R&D Magazine.

At 172,000 square-feet, Building A was funded by university capital funds and opened in 2004. It earned a gold-level LEED certificate, despite being a fast-track construction project that originally had not targeted certification. Experience from raising Building A was incorporated into Building B, making it possible to earn the platinum-level certificate. The slightly larger Building B, at 175,000 square-feet, was completed in 2006, utilizing funding from a 2003 Arizona legislative appropriation to support infrastructure improvements at the state’s three universities.

“Our research attempts to imitate nature’s design. So in constructing our facilities, we strove for minimal impact on the natural environment that inspires us,” said George Poste, director of the Biodesign Institute.

Featuring large expanses of glass, the facilities attempt to bring the scientific source of inspiration indoors. All offices have views of a Sonoran Desert garden. A central atrium skylight runs the length of both buildings, allowing natural light to infuse all four levels.

Environmentally friendly features range in scale from site and urban planning to interior finishes. The facility entry is near the new light-rail station set to open in 2008. Overall the project exceeded LEED criteria for use of recycled materials, at 15 percent, including aluminum ceiling panels, recycled-content carpet and rubber stairwell flooring. A construction waste management plan reduced landfill construction waste by more than 60 percent.

The facilities foster cross-disciplinary interaction to support the Biodesign Institute’s goals. Its height was limited to four levels to encourage using stairs, rather than elevators. Glass-walled laboratories and office space offer transparent views of each other and the atrium that separates them. This design encourages researchers to cross public spaces, which provides ample opportunities for impromptu meetings in the spacious hallways and stairwells.

“The idea of the atrium was bold for a university, where space is at a premium,” said Barbara Hendricks, project manager, Gould Evans.

Larry Lord, FAIA, LEED AP, is a science principal with Lord Aeck & Sargent. “What we created was the idea of a large connecting space, or as we call it, a three-dimensional collaborative space,” he said. “So, all the floors are associated with an atrium that goes north and south, and then in the future, east and west so that everyone is connected in a bigger sense within the buildings.”

The Biodesign Institute’s master plan includes two additional east-west buildings, which will bring the total space to nearly 800,000 square feet.

The facilities represent the largest investment in biotech research infrastructure in Arizona. The investment is paying off. The institute is the largest generator of federal biomedical research funding in the valley. Its research integrates biology, medicine, engineering, nanotechnology and advanced computing in new ways to inspire new solutions to disease, injury, sustainability and security.