The Center of Excellence for Energy Technology

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Tarrant County College District

The Center of Excellence for Energy Technology

A high-performance, premier training center operates as a living, teaching, and learning laboratory

Information

Location Fort Worth, Texas
Size 83,000 SF
Completion 2015
Certification LEED Platinum

The Tarrant County College Energy Technology Center (ETC) houses the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVACR) Program, as well as training programs for oil, gas, and renewable energy technologies. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, on the TCCD South Campus, this facility sets a new course for development on a campus largely built in the 1970s and is now a premier training center for its students, faculty, and the greater community. The project seeks to achieve and go beyond LEED Platinum with a goal of net zero energy use. Aggressive sustainability goals established by TCCD, and refined during programming, created a foundation for vetting project decisions. Led by BNIM in partnership with Freese and Nichols, design was a collaborative effort involving faculty, administrative and campus facilities personnel.

Impact + Innovation

The project team worked to optimize energy use and enhance learning in the new facility, creating a physical expression of energy and education, key focus areas in the curriculum. Conventional classrooms and computer classrooms will support lab workshop spaces, specifically tailored to the instructional programs. A public lecture hall will welcome the local community to learn about new technologies and innovative solutions through the unique design of this building. Collaboration areas at various scales will serve evolving student work habits. Faculty offices and related administrative support spaces are also included.

Process

Mechanical energy – 30% below ASHRAE 90.1 baseline

Daylighting – 60% above ASHRAE 90.1 baseline

Building envelope performance – 20% below ASHRAE 90.1 baseline

With it’s LEED and net zero energy goals, the ETC operates as a high performance building and is a living, teaching, and learning laboratory. The building is a pedagogical tool allowing occupants to observe its inner workings and mechanics. Plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and structural components are openly visible in strategic locations, giving students and visitors the opportunity to learn from the building systems on a daily basis. Digital displays provide real-time feedback and informative data about how the building systems are performing. In essence, the entire building is an instructional environment.