Creativity in Action

The Field Station was conceptualized and constructed to emphasize long-term sustainability and ecological health. The Main Building of the field station, which houses the research laboratory and other facilities [link to facilities], exemplifies the potential for superior energy efficiency through passive house design on an institutional scale. 

Passive house design and construction uses building materials, geographic orientation, and innovative construction techniques to keep energy usage as low as possible. Doors and window seals are airtight, and insulation ratings are as high as possible. Shade screens and passive solar gain via thermal mass maintain a nearly constant temperature year-round. In the winter, heat given off by the laboratory equipment is recirculated to heat the rest of the Main Building. Because of these unique design elements, the Field Station uses about 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling than a conventional building of the same size in this region.

Although it was initially pioneered in the United States, passive house design and construction are more common in Europe. Additionally, most passive houses are just that – single-family homes. Our field station includes not only the traditional design elements of a passive house but also a professional laboratory and classroom space, holding up to 35 students at a time. These additional requirements posed a bit of a design/build challenge, and the resulting Field Station is an architectural curiosity for designers and builders worldwide. The Warren Woods Ecological Field Station was the first Passive House-certified laboratory in the United States and the fifth in the world. As one article said, “Nothing like the 2,400-square-foot facility had ever been built outside Germany.” Read more about the specific features and outlay of the Field Station here [link to Dezeen article].