Design has begun on one of the newest sustainable buildings to be constructed in the U.S., a multidisciplinary educational building to be constructed on the campus of Montana State University.

The building design and its spaces will incorporate cutting-edge technology, communications and design in all applications and is intended to not only inspire but also educate occupants and visitors about the future. It is intended to teach the importance of sustainable practices, influence of buildings on social and academic activities and resulting "productivity" and to serve as a beacon of environmental stewardship to other public use buildings. It will also demonstrate the integration of these principles and technologies in a regional perspective.

The building will incorporate many principles of environmentally sound design, including:

 

• energy conservation and efficiency

   

• resource efficiency

   

• water conservation and efficiency

   

• sustainable and closed-loop wastewater treatment

   

• waste reduction

   

• indoor environmental quality, including indoor air quality

   

• daylighting access and penetration

   

• occupant health and productivity

   

• sustainable building materials

   

• lifecycle-based economic and product analysis

   

• site, habitat and community sensitivity

   

• use of "clean" power sources

   

• use of renewable energy sources

  In addition to those principles directly related to environmental design and construction, the building will also incorporate other advanced building practices, including:

   

• performance criteria

   

• interoperability in design, construction and operations

   

• effective and flexible space utilization, providing for innovation and change

   

• disaster resiliency

   

• intelligent building concepts in areas of communications, monitoring and building control

   

• lifecycle-based financial performance

   

• review of innovative financial options such as leasing of systems and products

  The collaborative design by BNIM Architects and Place Architecture will contain space for laboratories, classrooms and informal space for both faculty and students. Research in the areas of computational, molecular and environmental sciences will be conducted in the building, which will also house the National ReSource Center, sponsored by the National Institute for Standards & Technology. The Center’s mission is to develop new partnerships and approaches to create new technologies, services and products that will enhance the quality of life and sustainability for communities in the next millenium.

  Like the center, the building is intended to be a functioning demonstration space and among its stated goals are:

   

• increasing efficiency in flows of information and materials

   

• restoring biodiversity at the site and neighborhood

   

• improving economic vitality of the community and region

   

• promoting human health, well being and productivity

   

• setting new standards for energy efficiency and resource conservation

   

• reducing global warming, ozone degradation and acid rain by increasing efficiency, restoring biodiversity and reducing the release of contaminants

   

• improving tools for designing, constructing, operating and evaluating building systems

   

• exploring the potential of human resources as a major factor in environmental performance, human health and economic productivity

   

• maximizing the pedagogical opportunities of the process and facility.

The design team consists of Bob Berkebile, Berkebile Nelson Immenschuh McDowell Architects, Kansas City, MO; Don McLaughlin, Place Architects, Bozeman, MT; Janet Baum, Health Education Research Associates, St. Louis, MO; David Gottfried, Gottfried Technology, Inc., San Francisco, CA; Tom O’Connell, Architectural Engineering Division, State of Montana, Helena, MT; and Kath Williams, Project Chief, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT.