The five-storey building designed by US-based firm Leo A Daly is slated to be the first academic facility in southeast Florida to receive the certification. It encompasses an area of 97,000 square feet comprising the university’s computer science, electrical and computer engineering programmes, electrical instrumentation labs, computer build/circuitry labs, 5G technologies and specialized research labs.
The facility incorporates several sustainable features such as use of chilled beam technology along with photovoltaic systems, heat exchangers and other measures which leads to drop of about 35% in its energy consumption as against an ASHRAE building.
It is fitted with low-flow and sensor-controlled water fixtures which slashes water wastage by 40% over a traditional building. The building is also equipped with temperature control systems, offers wind orientation, features shading in its exterior part for repelling heat and employs a system to procure hot water from the solar heat.
The building optimises passage of natural light in 90% of its occupied rooms while allowing glimpses of the surrounding landscape from 75% of these rooms. Other sustainable features of the structure include diversion of over 80% of construction debris from reaching the landfills, use of locally-sourced materials and use of Florida native and adaptive vegetation.
