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Research Support Facilities

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The Research Support Facilities (RSF) is planned to be the laboratory's next sustainable green building, due to be completed in the summer of 2010. This 218,000 ft2 office building will be a showcase for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

The energy goal for the building is 28.2kBtu/ft2/year. A rooftop photovoltaic system 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 will be chronicled and shared widely to promote the production of high-performance building designs at competitive costs.

Building Description

The RSF building is being designed for about 740 staff from NREL and the Department of Energy. This new flagship building will:

  • Incorporate the concepts of safe design into the planning, design, construction, and operation of the facility
  • Meet the Platinum certification as defined by the US Green Buildings Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Green Building Rating System
  • Meet the requirements of the workforce of today and tomorrow
  • Provide the lowest attainable energy use per square foot
  • Provide an architectural image that is consistent with the site and NREL's identity.

Design-Build Contract

A design-build contract of approximately $64 million has been 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

RSF Prototype at Golden Hill

NREL's Information Services (IS) staff are the first to prototype new workstations and technologies being planned for the RSF. By the time employees move into the RSF in 2010, this group will know all about the "workplace of the future."

Nearly 100 employees are prototyping several new workstation configurations that utilize shorter cube heights and allow for maximum daylighting and lower energy costs. Along with the furniture, IS is testing many of the new information technologies being planned for the RSF. Learn more about how NREL is testing the energy-saving office of the future.

Construction

Haselden Construction is now erecting structural steel and installing radiant piping. Read how the building is being constructed to be highly energy-efficient and sustainable:

If you have questions, please contact Carl Cox at 384-7858. Construction updates on all the South Table Mountain permanent site construction are available.