Spectacle

Undergrad Studio, Instructor Bart Overly

This proposal for the Energy Research and Innovation Center at the Ohio State University is guided by the theme “science as spectacle” to inspire excitement and creativity by increasing the visibility of experimentation. The building is organized by a datum of sheer walls that create a series of labs differentiated by purpose but following a generalized scheme streamlined for Innovation, Production, and Testing.

The stepped form of the north facade reads as de-materialized ziggurat while the cantilevered shear walls allow for the stepped office and working spaces under which a large event space is situated. The large south glazing allows the concrete floor of the event hall to serve as a thermal mass to facilitate heating the facility. The concrete sheer walls contain a radiant heat and cooling system to further adjust the interior temperatures.

The shear walls are poured in place and utilize rubble from the destruction of the parking garage formerly located on the property as aggregate. The laboratory sections are manufactured and then lifted into place, seated on preformed concrete slabs bridging between the sheer walls.

Passers-by can gaze into the laboratories from the garden located in the center of the block while walking along the photovoltaic forest. More than just decoration, the forest serves as a testing ground for improved solar generation. The canal and integrated wave generator allow for a specialty lab researching coastal energy harvesting technology. Another laboratory within the primary structure utilizes a wind tunnel.