MEP/FP engineering for the Woods Hole Research Center renovation and expansion supports office space for 40 people, a 100-seat conference center, and a three-station lab, within a combination of new construction and renovation of a historic early-1900s structure. Designed to be net-zero energy-ready, the project incorporates geothermal heating and cooling with energy recovery, on-site renewable energy from a photovoltaic array and a wind turbine, solar thermal domestic hot water, and efficient electrical, lighting, plumbing, and life safety systems.
As one of 2RW’s earliest sustainability-focused projects, dating back to 1999, 2RW provided MEP/FP engineering for a project that combined new construction with the renovation and adaptive reuse of a historic early 1900s wood-frame structure. The facility includes office space for 40 people, a 100-seat conference center, and a three-station lab.
To achieve the project’s goals, systems were designed to maximize efficiency across the building envelope, domestic water heating, and space conditioning. Electricity is generated on-site via a roof-mounted photovoltaic array and a ground-mounted 100 kW wind turbine, with excess power exported to the local utility grid. Domestic hot water is provided by a roof-mounted solar collector array. Heating and cooling are delivered through geothermal standing column wells, geothermal heat pumps, valance convectors, and dedicated outside air systems with energy recovery.
Additional strategies include the adaptation and reuse of the existing historic structure, permanent gravel parking areas to manage on-site stormwater, a 1,200-gallon rainwater collection tank, a grid-connected, net-metered photovoltaic array, a closed-loop ground-source heat pump system, and solar thermal hot water. The design also incorporates daylighting and natural ventilation strategies, including skylights and operable windows, along with user-controlled ventilation, temperature, and lighting systems to enhance occupant comfort.
In the design phase, the building was projected to achieve an energy use intensity (EUI) of just 19.2% of a comparable building designed to meet the minimum Massachusetts Energy Conservation Code, representing an approximately 80.8% reduction from baseline. The facility was designed to be net-zero ready, aligning with the project’s goal of producing more energy than it consumes.
Mark Rylander Architecture & Sustainability
William McDonough & Partners
2004 – First Place, Northeast Green Building Award “Places of Work: Small Buildings”, Northeast Sustainable Energy
Association
2004 – AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects
2004 – Honorable Mention Excellence in Design Award, Environmental Design and Construction Magazine
