Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology

Philadelphia PA

structural engineering, facade design Services

Behnisch Architekten Architect

Seven-story building on the University of Pennsylvania campus with an iconic ETFE screen

Project

The University of Pennsylvania is expanding its energy research facilities with the new Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology (VLEST), located on the east side of campus near downtown Philadelphia. This 112,000 sqft, seven-story building will support current and future energy research. Built on a former parking area between the David Rittenhouse Laboratory and S32nd St, the VLEST aligns with S32nd St, creating a new landscaped quad. Proximity to a SEPTA train line required careful consideration of noise and vibration, leading to strategic placement of sensitive lab equipment. The building envelope is covered by an iconic screen made of ETFE panels.

Unitized Aluminum Curtain Wall with integrated natural ventilation and external screen consisting of steel frames with ETFE infills

Façade Design

The facade of the building consists of an aluminum curtain wall with 267 shading elements on the east and west facades. These elements are made of steel tube frames covered with two different ETFE membranes, aiming to reduce unwanted energy intake and allow daylight to penetrate deep into the building's interior in the upper sections. The geometry of the elements was optimized through simulations for ideal shading and daylight supply. They are modularly integrated into the curtain wall and attached to the building via reinforced aluminum profiles. The steel frames are manufactured separately and attached to the curtain wall on-site before installation.

Steel structure with cantilevers up to 7.60m and requirements for a low-vibration design

Structural Design

The building structure consists of a 1600-ton steel framework, which was primarily chosen to accommodate the offsets in the building's volume. The column grid measures 6.7 x 8.5 meters in the standard areas, and load transfer occurs in most areas without offsets; however, there are also cantilevered sections extending up to 7.6 meters. A particular challenge was limiting the building's deformations and vibrations to meet the requirements of the laboratories.