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Interdisciplinary Science Building

The Interdisciplinary Building (ISB) is an 87,700 square-foot facility where researchers with different scientific specialties team up to take on significant national energy challenges.

It was awarded a LEED gold rating by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2013. To attain its LEED-gold certification, the building met internationally recognized standards defined by the Council, which include conserving energy; reducing water consumption; occupying a location previously developed to minimize environmental impacts; using certified, environmentally sustainable and recycled materials from sources less than 500 miles from the construction site to minimize transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions; and maintaining optimal indoor environments for building occupants. The ISB site was designated as a brownfield site, which was remediated for redevelopment under this project.

The ISB employs a number of energy saving and environmentally friendly strategies. A white (cool) roof, insulation, and "low-e" high-performance window coatings reflect sunlight to significantly reduce heat and air-conditioning costs by reflecting the heat to the greatest side of concentration. A heat-recovery system, energy-efficient fume hoods, vacancy and photo motion-sensor light controllers, low-flow toilets and other fixtures, storm water collection chambers, and many additional components contribute to a 37 percent increase in energy efficiency compared to conventional designs and a 55 percent reduction in potable water use. Exceeding federal mandates and Department of Energy directives for energy efficiency, the overall result is a cost avoidance of 29 percent when compared to benchmark laboratory designs.

In addition to energy and cost-saving strategies, such as heat recovery, and high-efficiency lighting systems and laboratory equipment, the facility was built with certified environmentally-sustainable wood, recycled materials, and materials from vendors within the region to reduce the building's overall carbon footprint. The ISB design also includes strategies to conserve water. 

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Sustainable principles and environmental considerations guided the design concepts to ensure that the Interdisciplinary Science Building would be a high-performance facility for Brookhaven researchers working to reduce the carbon footprint of our energy economy