As a response to the ongoing quest to reduce energy consumption, chilled beams are experiencing a surge in popularity, according to “Chill Out: A look at passive and active chilled-beam systems,” which appears in the current issue of eco-structure magazine. In the article, Shepley Bulfinch’s Jonathan Baron discusses the importance of understanding a building’s thermal dynamics and the environments for which chilled beam systems are best suited.

In his interview with writer Judith Stock, Jonathan talks about strategies for addressing potential condensation issues, as well as the need for close coordination with ...[more]

The University of New Mexico’s Science and Math Learning Center in Albuquerque has received LEEDGold certification from the US Green Building Council.

The LEED® for Schools™ rating system under which it was certified addresses core learning areas and requires higher performance standards for air quality, acoustics, daylighting, and thermal comfort than other LEED programs. 

The project deploys a wide range of sustainable design strategies and techniques that focus on enhancing the learning environment and fulfills the University’s commitment to establishing a green footprint.

The Science and Math Learning ...[more]

Creating an environment that promotes healing complements the development and practice of treatments that heal. That was the thinking behind the design of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, which has received an Award of Merit in the Connecticut Green Building Council’s (CTGBC) 2011 Green Building Design Awards. Norman Roth, Yale-New Haven’s Senior Vice President of Administration, accepted the award at the June 21 ceremony in New Haven.

The hospital was designed by Shepley Bulfinch and landscape architects Towers|Golde, and built by Turner Construction.

Eight years in the making, the 516,000 square foot cancer hospital ...[more]

As the work of the academic year wrapped up in May at Colorado College, another sort of work began, with the summer renovation of Rastall Hall, Benji’s Café, and Colorado Café in the Worner Center.

Students arriving on campus in the fall will find the Worner Center’s dining facilities transformed into a bright and welcoming space. In keeping with the College’s commitment to sustainability, the project includes a number of sustainable features which will be an important part of the College’s pursuit of LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design – Existing ...[more]

Eckstein Hall, the new home to Marquette University’s Law School, has received LEED Silver certification from the US Green Building Council just months after the building’s completion.

Marquette and the project team were committed to constructing an energy-efficient building and receiving LEED certification.

“As we began the process of designing Eckstein Hall, our first priority was to build a facility that would enable us to provide an exceptional legal education,” said Joseph D. Kearney, dean of the Law School. “But as we began talking to alumni, students, and others, it ...[more]

The Lovett School’s Portman Middle School in Atlanta has received LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council in recognition of the school’s highly sustainable design and construction.

The project’s highly sustainable attributes include a green roof, which features an outdoor classroom and demonstration garden for water harvesting; a water collection and recycling program; the use of rapidly renewable materials; the recycling of construction waste; and a “Building Dashboard.” In addition to its LEED Gold certification, the project has earned an Energy Star rating from the US Environmental Protection Agency and ...[more]

Who says building science can’t be a competitive sport? Shepley Bulfinch, which has set the standard for building enclosure design for more than a decade, came out on top in the Air Barrier Challenge organized by the Boston Society of Architects’ (BSA) Building Enclosure Council to design and test a window installation in a wall.

Shepley Bulfinch fielded one of nine teams from architecture firms, consultants, and manufacturers’ representatives in last month’s competition. The goal was for each team to design and install a successful window-to-wall interface, perhaps the most ...[more]

WASHINGTON, DC – Sherman Hospital has received a $956,000 award from the US Department of Energy for its geothermal lake at the hospital’s new campus in Elgin, Illinois. The hospital is scheduled to open at the end of the year. In announcing the receipt of the award today, Sherman president and CEO Rick Floyd said, “Sherman Health is honored to receive this award… Our lake is environmentally sound, and we look forward to supporting green energy initiatives in our community and throughout the country.”

The award was funded through the FY08 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, and was designated as one of 117 congressionally directed projects within the Department’s Office ...[more]