A Living Laboratory

It’s lean. It’s green. And, through its sustainable design, Lawrence Tech’s new 42,000 square-foot A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center will be a living laboratory for the study of renewable resources. Not only will it meet the requirements of the important student services functions it’s designed to house, it also will be an integral part of our academic programs in alternative energy.

This three-story jewel will be oriented on campus to promote natural lighting while at the same time taking advantage of site elements. The exterior skin of the building has been designed to reduce heat loss and maximize daylight without succumbing to excessive solar heat gain. Low-e glass will take advantage of the center’s southern exposure.

Another green aspect of the building’s design is a bioswale that will reduce water runoff. Water that does run off will be cleansed by vegetation, which will remove pollutants commonly found in snow and rain.

Vegetation plays another role in the 13,000-square-foot roof. Sedum, a droughtresistant groundcover, will be planted on the roof to encourage indigenous bird life and help control water runoff. Water not absorbed by the roof plantings will be treated and used to offset the center’s water use for waste disposal. Water in 80 300-foot-deep geothermal wells will aid cooling and heating.

Imaginative design. Innovative qualities. Environmentally sensitive. The Taubman Student Services Center is an ideal candidate for the coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Achieving this designation would make the center among the first university buildings in America to be honored in such a fashion.