UCLA Engineering VI

Los Angeles, CA

Project details
Client

University of California, Los Angeles

Architect

Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners

Services provided by Buro Happold

Building Services Engineering (MEP), Lighting design, Sustainability

Recognized around the world for its exceptional contribution to innovation in engineering education and research, UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (HSSEAS) now teaches more than 5,000 students each academic year.

The faculty has a number of significant achievements since it was founded in the 1940s – one of the most notable is that it was the very first location to send a transmission via what is now known as the internet. Academics and researchers from the school have also been responsible for innovations including pollution research, semiconductor design and development and reverse-osmosis technology for clean water.

With a need to develop new facilities to enable the continuation of cutting edge research and learning, UCLA commissioned Engineering VI, a two-phase project aimed at delivering new spaces designed for students. The first phase to be completed was the 60,000ft2 Western Institute of Nanotechnology on Green Engineering and Metrology (WIN-GEM), and the second was the creation of a new home for the Computer Science department.

Challenge

With Engineering VI destined to become the flagship development for the faculty, Buro Happold was tasked with providing services for both phases of the project. We needed to deliver high performance building strategies that harness the southern Californian climate and achieved the client’s goal of LEED Gold.

Each phase presented its own set of challenges. The WIN-GEM building features laboratories designed to aid research in the field of energy harvesting, storage, conservation and management. This meant we needed to engineer spaces able to maintain stable temperatures within a low vibration and low electromagnetic field environment. For the computer science building, our services needed to enable the creation of a highly collaborative, multi-use space that includes laboratories, offices, conference rooms and breakout areas.

UCLA Engineering VI Phase I , university building
The first phase to be completed was the 60,000ft2 Western Institute of Nanotechnology on Green Engineering and Metrology (WIN-GEM). Image: John Linden

Solution

A key objective was for spaces to achieve at least 20% energy cost savings compared to ASHRAE 90.1-2007. Our team studied various options for meeting these criteria, delivering low energy solutions for an exceptional interior atmosphere while also minimizing upfront and ongoing operational costs. Savings were made by improving the efficiency of the energy intensive laboratory systems by using a sophisticated lab air monitoring system, and by incorporating natural ventilation, daylighting, occupancy sensors and a photovoltaic array. This first phase of Engineering VI was completed successfully in 2015.

Following on from our work on WIN-GEM, we took a similar approach for the computer science building, maximizing the use of passive systems such as daylighting and natural ventilation. We also carefully selected active systems that would compliment these, including active chilled beams, displacement ventilation, and sophisticated system controls. Our team performed extensive energy modelling to ensure the interior environment was of the very best quality. Our team also specified solar renewable and water recycling technologies to further minimise the energy and water consumption of the building.

UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (HSSEAS) now teaches more than 5,000 students each academic year. Image: John Linden

Value

Designed to offer a link between Engineering IV, Engineering V and the main campus entry, Engineering VI provides unified facilities for HSSEAS. The new facilities provide the school with a prominent presence on campus, as well as offering further opportunity to explore energy efficient strategies and encourage scientific collaboration. Both phases are exemplars of efficient design and set to become a catalyst for new discoveries.

Maximizing the use of passive systems such as daylighting and natural ventilation. Image: John Linden

Awards

2018

CIBSE Awards Shortlist Project of the Year – International

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