Previous	Next

< Back to Educational

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
RICE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LIFE SCIENCES

Owner

Virginia Commonwealth University

Architect

Train & Partners

Location

J.T. Memorial Highway
Charles City, VA

Project Size

6,000 Square Feet

Completion

April 2008

Schedule Duration

12 months

VCU’s Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences is a 6,000-square-foot educational facility situated on the banks of the James River. The building’s design and construction teams aim to accomplish the platinum certification by meeting the high expectations of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. The building is comprised of three distinct spaces: a multipurpose resource room for teachers, faculty and researchers, a multipurpose area for classroom and laboratory use, and an administration center.

Special sustainable design features include a geothermal heating and cooling system, recycled building materials, photovoltaic panels for solarenergy collection, a permeable roof with rainwater collection for toilets, and water-efficient plumbing fixtures. Additionally, the building was designed to maximize the availability of natural light, thereby reducing the need for artificial lighting.