Completion
Estimated 2028The Bernard Chiller Plant is a new highly efficient electric chilled water plant carefully composed and proportioned to fit into a prominent south campus hillside in scale with its campus place.
With a compact rectangular footprint, the building adapts to the site’s topography to reduce apparent mass and to provide vehicular access at two levels. A precast base emerges from the hillside at the lowest level with a pleated metal facade wrapping all four sides of the building above. The facade extends well above the building’s roof in a cohesive campus scaled expression that is punctuated by a dramatic shift as it passes by the roof. In its upper register, the façade introduces rhythmically spaced glazed openings that block noise but reveal the rooftop equipment and plant’s purpose, continuing the building’s dialog with the broader campus context.
A minimized building footprint maintains space for a future energy facility to its west. The new building includes a 12,500 ton chilled water plant as well as a full complement of workshops, offices, and support spaces for an evolving workforce.
Reducing the use of potable water and managing stormwater flows through the hilly campus are critical considerations for the University. The plant is specifically designed to use reclaimed water provided by the regional water utility, eliminating use of potable water in the production of chilled water at the plant under normal operation and saving millions of gallons of potable water each year. The plant’s hillside site limits opportunity and available space for stormwater management. The project meets the challenge with a series of stepping walls constructed of familiar campus stone that frame cascading storm water pools designed to manage large storm events and enhance water quality. This system includes accessible gathering spaces with layered planting that brings the vitality of South Campus Grove across Blythe Drive.