A modern window to the Cretaceous Period

Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University

Sewell, NJ, USA

The 44,000ft² hybrid mass timber facility will feature immersive fossil galleries, research workshops and hands-on learning experiences, full-scale skeletal reconstructions of prehistoric beasts, and a virtual reality chamber that transports guests back to the time of dinosaurs as well as a theater and event space, nature trails, paleo-themed playground and a veranda-wrapped café overlooking the four-acre quarry.

Located in New Jersey, the marl pit contains thousands of fossils from the Cretaceous Period. As the only fossil site of its kind within a major metropolitan area, the fossil park will provide an unparalleled opportunity for millions of residents to enjoy an authentic, hands-on exploration of the Earth’s past. Since 2012, nearly 15,000 visitors have dug for their own fossils and have unearthed sea turtles, sharks, fish, crocodiles and mosasaurs.

The new development will feature a museum and visitor center, a fossil preparation lab, a nature trail, a palaeontology-themed playground, social spaces to accommodate special events and areas for visitors to participate in paleontological digs at the site.

Once completed, the hybrid mass timber facility will be the first Living Building Challenge project to achieve Zero Energy Certification in New Jersey.

The Edelman Fossil Park Museum is set to be the largest public net zero emissions building in New Jersey.

44,000ft² hybrid mass timber facility with 4-acre quarry containing thousands of fossils from the Cretaceous Period.

Challenge

One of the project’s primary goals is to encourage environmental stewardship through both education and demonstration of high-performance sustainability through the building, which will be New Jersey’s largest public net zero facility and part of the Living Building Challenge. 

Buro Happold are thoughtful from a design stand point, intelligent and sophisticated. They understand the bigger picture. They have been a partner in realizing the vision for the building; they are skilled in explaining the impact of the engineering decisions on the design intent.

Mayva Donnon, Partner, KSS Architects

Solution

Teamed with Ennead Architects and KSS Architects, Buro Happold is providing structural and MEP engineering, as well as lighting design and sustainability consulting services for the preservation and expansion of this unique park, which will lead a transformation of STEM education through a one of a kind, hands-on center for discovery and research.

Incorporating features such as geothermal, wells for ground-source heating and cooling systems and a photo voltaic solar field, 100% of the energy used by the museum will come from a combination of green energy available in New Jersey’s power grid and renewable energy produced on-site. No fossil fuels will be combusted for museum operations and no greenhouse gasses will be released into the atmosphere.

In addition, the surrounding grounds will restore plant and animal habitat and other key landscape features. The building utilizes heavy timber and cross-laminated timber structure as well as wood cladding to maximize the use of renewable materials.

Value

Once completed, the Edelman Fossil Park Museum is slated to be the largest public net zero emissions building in New Jersey and the first Living Building Challenge project to achieve Zero Energy Certification in the state.

They are a firm that you want to use on aspirational projects, and in particular on projects pursuing high-level sustainability goals.

Andrew Sniderman, Associate, KSS Archiects