Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University

The Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University is dedicated to studying interactions among the earth’s ecosystems. This 11,000 square-foot, two-story building houses 45 full-time researchers, and is comprised of a laboratory and investigation area on the first floor, with offices and meeting rooms on the second floor.
EHDD’s design for this project was driven by a desire to provide a very low energy cooling system that achieved sustainability without sacrificing economy, comfort, worker efficiency, or beauty.

While lab buildings typically use four times the energy of most campus buildings, the Department of Global Ecology reduces gas emissions to an absolute minimum. A night sky cooling system sprays a thin film of water on the roof, which radiates heat to the cold, deep space sky, producing chilled water. This water is stored and circulated through the granite slab floor to cool the spaces. In addition, a “windcatcher” and misters cool the indoor/outdoor lobby, lowering the temperature of air cascading into the space.