Opened in July 2020, the Micron Center for Materials Research is a campus and community hub for materials research and the home of the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering. The $50 million building is named for Micron Technology, the Boise-based international computer storage and memory technology company, whose $25 million gift helped make the building possible.
The 97,000-square-foot facility provides research laboratories and spaces, specialized learning environments, a 250-seat lecture hall, two large classrooms, and offices and work spaces for faculty, staff and graduate students advancing materials education and research at Boise State.
“This building is the result of a truly collaborative effort,” said Doug Suddreth, senior project manager at Boise State. “From the beginning, we were tasked to design and build a world class facility for materials science research. To that end, we brought together a diverse group of stakeholders who were engaged at every step of the process so we could put forth the best possible product.”
City of Boise Excellence in Sustainability award
In 2021, the Micron Center for Materials Research was honored with the Excellence in Sustainability award in the City of Boise’s Building Excellence Awards, presented annually by the city in partnership with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Idaho to recognize projects that improve safety and accessibility, showcase unique design, or advance
environmental sustainability.
In announcing the award, city plans examiner Julie Romig called the building “an innovative example of design and sustainability, emphasizing the university’s goal to become a leader in academics, research and civic engagement.”
Sustainably designed
During initial design efforts, Boise State and its partners at Hummel Architects and Hoffman Construction studied comparable buildings in similar climate zones and found that lab-oriented buildings typically consume almost three and a half times as much energy as an office building— insight that shaped an efficiency-first approach to the project.
“With sustainability being a pillar of the university’s strategic plan, it was important for us to make the building as efficient as possible, while also meeting the programming needs of the occupants,” said Ann Wozniak, University Architect and Director of Architectural and Engineering Services. “Throughout the design, our team explored a variety of sustainable design features and we have gained valuable knowledge that will help us continue to meet sustainability goals on future projects.”
Sustainability features of the building include:
- Displacement ventilation in academic spaces, which warms or cools building occupants rather than the space itself
- High-performance glazing, boilers and energy recovery units
- LED lighting and control systems that use scheduling, occupancy sensors, and dimming to respond to building occupancy
- A comprehensive energy model ensuring systems were sized correctly for the building and its occupants
- Landscaping using native and adaptive plant materials suited to the Treasure Valley climate
- On-site stormwater retention, with water stored underground for landscaping use
Occupant experience was also central to the design. “It’s important that building amenities are not forgotten when talking about sustainability,” Wozniak said. “Everything was thoughtful in the design to consider the entire experience—from access to natural light and the materials used in construction, to having access to lactation rooms and single-user restrooms.”
Both active and passive energy systems, along with building amenities, are factors considered when evaluating sustainability for LEED and similar certifications.