Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Duke University: Nicholas School of the Environment

  • 09/01/16
Duke University: Nicholas School of the Environment

PHOTOS © WARREN JAGGER PHOTOGRAPHY

Environment Hall on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC, designed by Payette, is a long narrow bar building nestled in among existing campus buildings, giving virtually all program spaces access to natural light and views. A subtle bend in the building’s geometry mitigates multiple campus grids, signifies entry and is used to create landscape spaces that are at once cradled and expansive. The building’s structural grid and floor-to-floor heights align with the adjacent Levine Science Research Center, creating a dialogue between old and new across a protected orchard while preserving the flexibility of a future physical link between buildings.

The project integrates low-energy, sustainable building systems aimed at reducing environmental impact and serving as teaching tools for the School and its broader community. A rooftop solar photovoltaic trellis generates 60,000 kWh of electricity annually and is complemented with a solar thermal panel system to satisfy domestic hot water needs. The trellis shades a garden roof, which functions as a pair of informal outdoor classrooms.

A low-ambient, high-task lighting strategy with vacancy sensors and daylight harvesting reduces lighting energy. Building-wide, a dashboard monitoring system monitors and communicates indoor and outdoor environmental conditions, as well as indoor energy usage, allowing occupants to make near real-time adjustments to reduce energy consumption.

The building’s primary organizing element is its network of thermal corridors along the south façade, which utilize a relaxed temperature strategy to insulate interior spaces from direct solar gain. Coupled with tuned horizontal sunshade elements and operable windows providing natural ventilation, the thermal corridors significantly reduce the building’s overall energy consumption.

A high-performance curtainwall with a varying ceramic-fritted glazing and vertical fin sunshades minimizes heat gain. At the ends of the building, these primary façade systems wrap the corner and are stitched together by expressive concrete stairs, a unique exterior experience made possible by the site’s temperate climate.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management September 2016 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.

  • nursing students talk while studying in a hallway

    Elsevier Launches VR Simulation Solution for Nursing Students

    Elsevier has introduced Shadow Health Lab with Virtual Reality, a simulation platform that allows nursing students to interact with virtual patients and build clinical judgment skills in a safe, realistic environment.