December 24, 2024

Net-zero energy, carbon-neutral building opens at WWU

Photo courtesy of Perkins&Will [enlarge]

Kaiser Borsari Hall is an all-mass timber, carbon-neutral building.

Western Washington University is celebrating the completion of a trendsetting project at its campus in Bellingham.

A dedication ceremony was held this month to inaugurate the new Kaiser Borsari Hall, which is the first higher education STEM building in the United States to pursue Zero Energy and Zero Carbon certifications through the International Living Future Institute.

The 54,000-square-foot facility significantly expands capacity in WWU's growing electrical and computer engineering, energy science and computer science programs.

The hall houses classrooms, teaching labs, learning research labs and experiential learning environments including active learning classrooms where future engineers, scientists and innovators engage with emerging technologies and sustainable practices. There is also new academic administrative space and areas for collaboration.

Photos courtesy of WWU [enlarge]

Learning spaces in the STEM building include a robotics lab.

[enlarge]

The ribbon was snipped, with the assistance of a drone, on Dec. 12. From left, faculty member Filip Jagodzinski, Fred Kaiser, graduate student Tyanin Opdahl, Grace Borsari.

Learning spaces are designed to be inclusive and adaptable to support diverse learning styles and physical abilities.

The cutting-edge building is located east of the WWU Communications Facility and is connected to that property by a sky bridge to maximize program efficiencies and increase collaboration opportunities. Perkins&Will designed Kaiser Borsari Hall. It was built by Mortenson.

To achieve the International Living Future Institute's sustainable criteria and minimize embodied carbon, the hall is constructed using all-mass timber sourced from sustainably managed forests. Rooftop solar panels, supplemented by offsite sources, will fully power the building's operations, leading to a zero-energy footprint.

WWU is aiming to become the region's first zero-energy university campus.

Kaiser Borsari Hall is the result of a public-private funding partnership and is named for Fred Kaiser and Grace Borsari, longtime friends and champions of WWU, who committed a lead gift of $10 million to finance the new building. The project cost is approximately $74 million. Additional money came from state and federal funds, as well as a capital fundraising campaign.

Construction began in May 2023.

Although it just opened, the building has already been recognized for its sustainable design and modern architecture.

Kaiser Borsari Hall in 2023 won a Bronze Award from the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. This award recognizes projects that combine architectural excellence with sustainable design and construction practices. Kaiser Borsai Hall was one of only two buildings in the U.S. to receive this honor and the only university building globally to be recognized last year.