The North Carolina State University Plant Sciences Building has won two USGBC Carolinas Community Leadership Awards, taking home both the Building Design and Construction Award and the People's Choice Award. The awards promote sustainability and celebrate excellence from projects, people, and partners that are working to create better buildings and better lives for all in their local community.
Flad designed the Plant Sciences Building and partnered with DPR Construction for the construction of the facility, which achieved LEED Gold certification through energy-reducing systems and sustainable materials.
The iconic home for the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative, this 185,000-square-foot interdisciplinary science hub features a rooftop greenhouse and two research wings connected by a center core that is designed to support researcher collaborations and social interactions. The building's modern infrastructure implements materials that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts, supporting the program's dynamic and future-forward trajectory.
With the goal of achieving a minimum of 30 percent reduction in Energy Use Intensity (EUI) from an ASHRAE 90.1-2010 baseline, the design focuses on energy conservation in three main categories to support and offset the lab and greenhouse operations: HVAC and lighting design, building envelope design with bird-friendly glass, and water reuse. Other sustainability efforts include construction waste reduction and recycling measures, the incorporation of recycled and regionally sourced materials, and indoor air quality improvements using walk-off mats and low VOC finishes.
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North Carolina State University Plant Sciences BuildingRead more about the award Community Leadership Award recipients in the Carolinas
November 14, 2023