Woods Hole Research Center Lives Out Its Mission with New Headquarters

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Woods Hole Research Center Lives Out Its Mission with New Headquarters

Gilman Ordway Campus is Showplace for Sustainable Design

RHODE ISLAND, FALMOUTH, Jul. 24 -/E-Wire/Business Wire/-- It is only fitting that the internationally renowned Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC), an organization that combats global warming and champions the world's environment, should commission a new headquarters that is a showcase for its vision. The building's goal is to only use 19% of the energy demand for a typical building of the same size.

The $8.5-million campus was officially dedicated in June of this year.

Conservationist and WHRC board member Gilman Ordway, of Wyoming, who contributed a $1 million Challenge Grant to the project and for whom the building is named, notes that "while I live in wide-open spaces, I've long been concerned about the great need to rethink the way we build and operate offices with the aim of defending the environment. The new campus fulfills this vision nobly, and I'm proud to be associated with it."

Harmonizing with Our Planet. Through its distinctive architecture, energy systems, and use of unique building materials, WHRC's new 19,000-square-foot campus is a model facility for the 21st century. The result is a sustainable office building, including conference facilities and laboratories, that produces more energy than it consumes and operates without using fossil fuels. For the campus's 40 scientists and administrative staff, who are finally together after working from three separate buildings, the new working environment has it all -- aesthetically pleasing, physically comfortable, and planet friendly.

Energy Independence. "It was imperative that our new headquarters produce all its energy from renewable sources," noted George Woodwell, WHRC's founder and director. "Our goal was to raise the bar on your typical renewable energy program, and utilize as many conservation measures as possible," adds Woodwell.

The Center's aggressive energy program includes:

-- 88,300-Watt photovoltaic panels that are expected to generate up to 41% of the building's total energy needs power for electricity, heating, and cooling.

-- A proposed wind turbine to provide 67% to 141% of the building's power needs.

-- Three enthalpy wheels recapture energy from the ventilation system by pre-heating incoming air with outgoing exhaust air and pre-cooling hot summertime air.

-- A ground-source heat pump uses the temperature of groundwater drawn from a 1,200-foot-deep well to maintain building temperature.

-- Fluorescent lighting, laptop computers, and inkjet printers all use significantly less energy than their standard counterparts.

-- Icynene spray foam insulation in the roof and exterior walls provides effective R-20 insulation.

Eco-friendly architectural design. The philosophy driving the Ordway campus' energy efficiency is inherently expressed in the building's design. The internationally acclaimed architectural firm of William McDonough + Partners, Charlottesville, Virginia, was chosen because founder Bill McDonough is "an imaginative person...a dreamer... whose work addresses the ecology like no one else's does," Woodwell explains.

The design concept evokes the shape and function of a tree. According to Mark Rylander, the project's lead architect and an associate at the firm, "The design speaks to the Center's conviction about the critical role trees play in the natural environment and their effect on world climate, especially global warming. Design and function clearly state 'We are one with environment.'"

The complex comprises a 7,500-square foot (sf) renovated Hilltop House (with the historic exterior largely intact), an 11,800-sf leaf-shaped wing, and an expanded wrap-around porch that connects the building to the landscape.

The building's focal point is the 'Commons,' the gathering place near the main entrance. A 24-ft-long wall of glass dramatically rises two stories and offers views out unto the wooded site. Here, and throughout the building, natural light streams through glass, which is double- and triple-glazed for high light transmission and low thermal emission.

Fresh air is delivered through all parts of the building via a sophisticated computer-monitored energy management system. Each office has its own temperature and lighting control, as well as operable windows. The paints and coatings used contain low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC).

Much of the interior woodwork has been recycled from a 19th century Baltimore factory. Other woods used include sustainably harvested maple for the floors (there is no carpeting), recycled ash for doorframes and window casements. All exterior wood is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Furniture contains high-recycled content and sustainably managed wood.

Designing for Tomorrow. The campus is purposefully designed to inspire others to create office space that protects, and even enhances, the environment. While the commitment to build space that keeps the environment safe may seem daunting, those at the Center will tell you that the consequences are far greater when constructing offices in traditional ways.

The Woods Hole Research Center is dedicated to solving environmental issues through scientific research and education, and through applications of science in public policy. Climate change and the warming of the earth are the core of the WHRC's research, with the Center specializing in global forests because of their controlling influence on climate.

(Photos are available)

Woods Hole Research Center

Dennis Dinan, [REDACTED-PHONE], [REDACTED-EMAIL] or Fuessler, Group, Rolf Fuessler, [REDACTED-PHONE], [REDACTED-EMAIL]

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