Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences

This 26,000 ft² building includes intensive laboratory facilities, offices, and classrooms. It is 90% more energy efficient than typical regional labs and 45% more energy efficient than required by Title 24 of California’s Energy Efficiency Standards.

The building’s innovative HVAC system provides 100% outside air (no recirculated air) for the whole building, including offices and classrooms, eliminates wasteful reheating in the office spaces, and features variable flow exhaust. The laboratories are cooled with indirect and direct evaporative cooling systems, which cost less than a conventional laboratory HVAC system. Offices and classrooms combine natural ventilation and a radiant floor system for heating and cooling. The building’s plumbing design uses low water strategies, including ultra-low flush toilets, waterless urinals, and sensor-controlled faucets. A unique rainwater collection system incorporates an exterior sculpture, which is exposed and visible to students for teaching purposes. Rainwater collected through the system is used for flushing toilets.