Design Program:
The Central Michigan University Environmental Program was in need of updates in the Laboratory Classrooms, Computer Room and Library on the Beaver Island Campus. CMU also desired a new Lecture Hall as they lacked space large enough to accommodate all the students. The new building was designed for LEED certification and will provide a state of the art learning facility for students taking classes in the environmental sciences. With the addition of the new Wet Labs and the unique ecosystem of Beaver Island, the students will take their formal classroom lectures and laboratory work in the building and apply it in their field work in the outdoor environmental lab.
Design Challenges:
The new building needed to be built during their off season from early Fall ready for the start of classes in late Spring. The project is on the shores of Lake Michigan where an open loop geothermal system was installed for the building HVAC system, low-flow plumbing fixtures for water conservation, and a lighting control system complying with ASHRAE 90.1.
