Groundbreaking for Research Support Building at Brookhaven Lab, March 10
February 28, 2005
The U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a 65,000-square-foot Research Support Building at its site on Thursday, March 10, at 11 a.m. in Berkner Hall. The media are invited to the ceremony along with Brookhaven employees, retirees, and guests.
The new Research Support Building will consolidate frequently visited administrative and support functions in a single location to provide more efficient administrative services to Brookhaven employees and visiting scientists. About 150 employees will be relocated to the new building. Currently, many of these employees work in structures built in the World War II era when Brookhaven Lab was the site of the U.S. Army's Camp Upton.
"The Research Support Building is the first to be constructed under Brookhaven Lab's master plan for its 5,300-acre site, in which we envision Brookhaven Avenue — where the new building will be centrally located — as the 'Main Street' of the Laboratory," said Project Manager Gregory Flett. "We expect the building to be completed in the fall of 2006. In the future, we plan to build two additional buildings on Brookhaven Avenue that will house mainly administrative support personnel. The World War II buildings will eventually be demolished to create a central green area on the north side of Brookhaven Avenue, opposite the new buildings, for the enjoyment of all employees and visitors."
Ehasz Giacalone Architects P. C., of Farmingdale, NY, designed the two-story Research Support Building, which will feature a glass atrium-style lobby connecting two wings of offices covered by a metal panel facade. STV Incorporated, Manhattan, provided engineering services. E. W. Howell Co., Inc., of Woodbury, NY, will construct the building, and Horizon Engineering Associates, LLP, Manhattan, will provide commissioning services to verify that all equipment and systems are operating properly prior to occupancy. The Science Laboratory Infrastructure Program of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science will fund the total cost of the $12.6 million building.
The Research Support Building tops New York State requirements for energy efficiency by 15 percent, and the structure will be considered "green," or environmentally friendly, based on the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, also known as LEED, rating system. Also, the building complies with National Environmental Policy Act requirements.
The Research Support Building will house Brookhaven's Human Resources Division; the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider & Alternating Gradient Synchrotron User Reception Office, which welcomes visiting researchers from around the world to these two scientific facilities; the Housing, Transportation & Travel Office; the Identification Badging Office; the Community, Education, Government & Public Affairs Office; the Business Systems Division; and a branch of the Teachers Federal Credit Union.
NOTE TO MEDIA: If you are interested in attending the groundbreaking ceremony on March 10, call Diane Greenberg, 631 344-2347, or 631 344-2345. All visitors to the Laboratory age 16 and over must bring a photo ID.
2005-10279 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
