Research Support Facility
RSF Newsroom 
Access the media kit, photos, and RSF news.
A new fact sheet, Research Support Facility—A Model of Super Efficiency (PDF 461 KB), provides more information about the design-build approach, high-performance design features, materials, the workplace of the future, and a cost comparison summary.
The Research Support Facility (RSF) is the laboratory's newest sustainable green building. This 222,000 ft2 office building is a showcase for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
The energy goal for the building is 32kBtu/ft2/year. A rooftop photovoltaic system is to be implemented through a Power Purchase Agreement; daylighting; natural ventilation; and a next-generation, energy efficient data center are just a few of the energy features of the building.
The RSF design and construction experience is being chronicled and will be shared widely to promote the production of high-performance building designs at competitive costs.
Building Description
The RSF building was designed for about 800 staff from NREL and the Department of Energy. This new flagship building:
- Incorporates the concepts of safe design into the planning, design, construction, and operation of the facility
- Meets the Platinum certification as defined by the US Green Buildings Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Green Building Rating System
- Meets the requirements of the workforce of today and tomorrow
- Provides the lowest attainable energy use per square foot
- Provides an architectural image that is consistent with the site and NREL's identity.
Construction
Read how the building was constructed to be highly energy-efficient and sustainable:
- NREL Solar Technology Will Warm Air at 'Home'
- New Low-Energy Building a Landscape Leader, Too
- Sustainable Solutions Abundant in New Offices
- Green Computing Helps in Zero Energy Equation
- Light Inspires Energy Efficient Building Design
- NREL Sets the Bar for Office Building Energy Use
- Building Panels Protect, Provide Comfort
- Recycled Natural Gas Pipes Shore Up Green Building
- Labyrinth to Store Energy in Basement for Later Use
Getting to Net Zero Energy Through a Performance-Based Design/Build Process
Jeff Baker from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Phil Macey from Haselden Construction, and Bill Glover from NREL discuss how the RSF and net-zero energy buildings are achievable and marketable now in this DOE Building Technologies Program Webinar.
- View the presentation slides (PDF 5 MB).
- View the recorded Webinar (WMV 14.2 MB). You can also read a text version of the audio.
Design-Build Contract
A design-build contract of approximately $64 million was awarded for the RSF, and the design-build team includes Haselden Construction and RNL. The benefits of the design-build process are:
- One contractor performs architecture/engineering and construction to improve project efficiency, cost, scope, and schedule performance
- The competitive market provides the most technically-sound and cost-effective solution based on well-defined user performance standards
- Project delivery and execution improves.
View the inactive Request for Proposals (RFP) Number RFJ-8-77550. This contract was awarded in July, 2008. The following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
Research Support Facility
- Appendix A: Request for Proposal and Conceptual Documents (PDF 2.7 MB)
- Amendment 4 (PDF 130 KB)
- Amendment 5 (PDF 131 KB)
- Amendment 6 (PDF 349 KB)
- Amendment 7 (PDF 89 KB)
- Amendment 8 (PDF 178 KB)
- Subcontract (PDF 312 KB)
RSF Prototype at Golden Hill
NREL's Information Services (IS) staff prototyped the new workstations and technologies planned for the RSF. This helped ensure that employees moving into the RSF would know all about the "workplace of the future."
Nearly 100 employees prototyped several new workstation configurations that utilized shorter cube heights and allowed for maximum daylighting and lower energy costs. Along with the furniture, IS tested many of the new information technologies now in the RSF. Learn how NREL tested the energy-saving office of the future.
