Syracuse’s Green-Roofed “Kinky” Lab Cuts Energy Use in Half

The <a href="http://www.syracusecoe.org/coe/" target="_blank">Syracuse Center for Excellence</a> recently unveiled a $41 Million <a href="http://inhabitat.com/former-airbase-transformed-into-leed-gold-asu-polytechnic-campus/" target="_blank">laboratory complex</a> that embodies their mission to address global challenges through green energy, indoor environmental quality, and smart water use. Designed by Japanese architect<a href="http://www.tmarch.com/projects/institutional/syracuse_center_of_excellence/2" target="_blank"> Toshiko Mori</a>, the building features an angular facade and a sloping green roof. The project has been nicknamed the “Kinky building”, and it employs several energy-efficient green building strategies and places a strong emphasis on protecting the health of the lab assistants who work there.

Most buildings use energy-sucking, complex <a href="http://inhabitat.com/flowing-medellin-sports-coliseum-keeps-its-cool-with-a-laser-cut-facade/" target="_blank">climate control systems</a> to keep things cool or warm, but in the Kinky building heating and cooling is controlled with hanging panels that use water to regulate the temperature. The innovative panels use less energy than <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-marcus-house-is-a-breezy-beach-bungalow-that-needs-no-air-conditioning-at-all/" target="_blank">all-air systems</a>, and require less fans and no Freon.

The blinds on the windows are in tune with the angle of the sun, automatically moving to prevent glare and reduce heating. The sloping roof, covered in plants, extends from the entrance and climbs to the third floor labs.

In the labs, air quality is of utmost importance, as researchers interact with a range of chemicals on a daily basis. Each lab features air testing equipment that measures air quality, signaling when fresh air needs to be filtered in.

Mori also designed the building with future <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/energy">energy</a> costs in mind - the lab uses less than half of the energy of a typical American lab. These energy conservation efforts ensure that this building is built to last.

Mori’s energy-efficent building makes good environmental and economic sense.