The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University is at the forefront of addressing the world's most pressing environmental issues. The building encourages interdisciplinary collaboration to spearhead research and development of new initiatives in energy resilience. The project's main challenge was to minimize the environmental footprint of a program that requires a lot of energy usage while weaving inviting collaborative spaces of a demanding program in a tight site. The building houses laboratories, classrooms, offices, and a conference center situated around three welcoming exterior gardens that bring natural light into below-grade spaces. More than half of the building is below grade, insulating and isolating it from vibrations that could interfere with very sensitive imaging equipment. The building’s interiors are enlivened with custom felt tapestries depicting brainstorms from famous scientists’ sketchbooks and custom tiles developed from recycled content. On the exterior, linear grey brick relates to the surrounding engineering quad’s red masonry construction while asserting its own identity. As a demonstration of the activities within, the Andlinger Center is designed to meet high standards for sustainable construction, reaching LEED Silver certification.
