Appalachian State Begins Building Innovation District

This summer, the first academic building for Appalachian State University’s Innovation District will begin to take shape, with construction slated to begin in July.

The Boone, N.C., school’s Conservatory for Biodiversity Education and Research will be the first net-zero energy building in ASU’s planned Innovation District.

According to university Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management Nick Katers, the approximately 50,000sq.-ft. building also will be among the nation’s first academic research facilities built to the rigorous sustainability standards of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), meaning the structure must generate more energy than it uses and be made of materials that are healthy for the environment, with all water captured and treated on site.

One of three components in the first phase of development for the Innovation District, the conservatory will bring together expertise across disciplines and create collaborations on campus, as well as encourage K–12 partnerships, noted Appalachian Today, an online ASU news site.

The new biodiversity facility also will build on existing opportunities available through the Department of Biology’s teaching and research facilities at the university. Housing for ASU faculty and staff, along with a zero-carbon energy system to power the district’s facilities, also is planned for phase one.

Paired with the adjacentApp State Nature Preserve, the conservatory will advance knowledge surrounding the natural and cultural history of the Southern Appalachian region, allowing theASU community and visitors to understand the natural history and economic importance of the region’s biodiversity, and see ASU page 28