Washington, DC — Global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will announced that its Washington, DC office has received the 2015 Notable Green Building Project Award of Excellence from the U.S. Green Building Council National Capital Region (USGBC-NCR) for its work on the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center. The award recognizes an exemplary green building outside of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system. Completed in the spring of 2014 and located on the western edge of the NIH’s Bethesda, MD, campus, the 320,000 s/f research center is comprised of 10 institutes, with Phases I and II together representing the largest neuroscience facility in the U.S. The Notable Green Building Project Award of Excellence specifically recognizes Phase II, which represents both a new capital project as well as a major addition to the existing, Phase I scientific research facility housing more than 700 researchers that maintained full operational status throughout the new Phase II construction.
“We are honored by this award. Without question, ‘green’ is in our DNA, and this dual-certified LEED Gold project demonstrates our commitment to incorporate innovative and sustainable design features in everything that we do,” said Jeffrey Welter, LEED AP BD+C, PMP, a managing principal in Perkins+Will’s DC office. “I’m extremely proud of the services we provided for this state-of-the-art research facility, which will assist scientists in positively impacting neuroscience research around the globe.” A variety of unique sustainability features were integrated into the research center, including geothermal ground-source heat pumps, active chilled beams, LED lights, and a roof-top photovoltaic array, which augments energy generation. The Phase II facility is also home to a technologically advanced 18.4t MRI suite, the first-of-its-kind in the world, capable of providing high-resolution imaging. With its design, Perkins+Will has created a welcoming and efficient environment that supports innovation and discovery. The project team designed spaces that encourage collaboration and communication, use flexible laboratory architecture that can change over time, and accommodate diverse research approaches, from cell culture to behavioral testing. Perkins+Will accepted the award at the USGBC-NCR’s 13th annual A Midsummer Night’s Green event on July 16 in Arlington.