Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

SRG Partnership Designs Net Zero Energy Building for OSU Cascades Campus

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/23/21

Architecture firm SRG Partnership recently announced that it has designed a Net Zero energy building for the Cascades Campus of Oregon State University in Bend, Ore. Edward J. Ray Hall will serve as a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) learning center featuring both interior and exterior active learning spaces. The facility has a Net Zero energy target and a structure made of regionally sourced mass timber.

The 50,000-square-foot, four-story building will be the first to take advantage of a 46-acre site that the university acquired for campus expansion. The site contains a reclaimed pumice mine, and a press release notes that Edward J. Ray Hall will stand at the top of the mine’s steep eastern rim, serving as a gateway between the existing campus and future developments in and around the former mine’s bowl.

Edward J Ray Hall at Oregon State University Cascades Campus

The use of mass timber ties into the university’s commitment to sustainability, using locally sourced renewable materials and leaving a low carbon footprint. The building’s east-west orientation, along with large windows and vertical shading devices, allows it to take advantage of the sun’s position to maximize daylight while reducing glare and summer heat. The roof will feature an array of photovoltaics as a source of on-site renewable solar energy for the building.

The design and prototype process focused on accommodating as wide a variety of education activities as possible to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, social equity, and sustainability. Edward J. Ray Hall serves as a scalable, adaptable proof of concept that will serve as a template for future buildings while leaving plenty of room for adaptation unique to these future buildings’ purpose, location, and conditions.

The total cost of the new facility is estimated at $49 million, and it is scheduled to open in fall 2021. Various donors contributed a total of $10 million to match funds provided by the state.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • Chicago District Completes Construction on New Elementary School

    North Chicago School District 187 in North Chicago, Ill., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Forrestal Elementary School, according to a news release. The new school marks a major investment in military-connected students and families at Naval Station Great Lakes.