Rutgers, School of Engineering

the story

The Bruce and Phyllis Nicholas Engineering Student Projects Studio is a compact building with major impact. As part of the master plan for Rutgers University’s School of Engineering, and the university’s first net-zero building, this purpose-built, all-electric facility was a major step for the institution and SLAM as the first on-campus carbon neutral facility that celebrates its students.

The facility is a dedicated space for students to conceptualize and build fully functioning projects. The more than 1,000 students who join Rutgers University’s engineering clubs now have a dedicated, state-of-the-art facility for interdisciplinary collaboration, project and equipment management, and preparation for intercollegiate competition – including Rutgers Formula Racing, Rutgers Solar Car Team, and other student organizations with design, build, and compete objectives. 

at-a-glance

TYPE:

New Building

PRACTICE:

Architecture

Interior Design

Lab / Sim Planning

Landscape Architecture

Programming & Planning

LOCATION:

Piscataway, NJ

STATUS:

Completed 2022

SIZE:

5,000 SF

In 2019 Rutgers announced the creation of the President’s Task Force on Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience with a purpose to develop strategies for achieving global net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. The university has invested in renewable energy sources to power its real estate portfolio.

Ultimately, the School of Engineering delivered Rutgers’ first net-zero project in support of the university’s new mission with this highly technical, design and manufacturing building that is independently powered by the sun.

The programming and energy usage requirements presented a unique design challenge. Our design team worked closely with key project stakeholders, from the university president to students, to understand project requirements, including complex process loads of operating a design and manufacturing facility. Our detailed survey of club operations, a year of collected data points, and the school’s request to put the engineering process on display along a highly traveled campus road helped the building begin to take shape.

The building form is driven by a key design goal of giving visibility to the clubs, and celebrates student activities within, as well as the project’s net-zero carbon outcome.

Balancing abundant daylight with super-insulated walls and sheltering roof, the project has become an exemplar of Rutgers’ carbon neutral mission.

Spaces that involve the manufacturing and assembly of projects are oriented towards the heavily traveled campus loop road to showcase hands-on, real-world projects.

Our design approach easily meets the needs of the purpose-built facility to design combustion engine, electric, and solar race cars while still meeting net-zero facility requirements.

The engineering clubs’ building is a model of the future of the discipline: it generates more than 100% of the energy required to operate its design, manufacturing, and testing equipment.

Replacing the WWII-vintage old, windowless labs with an insulated double-glazing system and a double low-e coating demonstrates the school’s priority to celebrate the students’ work.

Exposed structural elements celebrate the Bruce and Phyllis Engineering Student Projects Studio’s place in the School of Engineering.

Net Zero
Building EUI: -1.7

46.2 kW Solar Array
Carbon and Fossil Fuel Free

Supports the Rutgers Electric Vehicle Racing Team and the Rutgers Solar Car Team, who compete nationally against other schools and bring recognition to the University.

A launchpad for innovative project development that will position our students to compete with those from peer universities on the national stage. It will create an environment that fosters teamwork, originality, and the development of problem-solving and management skills, and it will create new opportunities for students to collaborate with industry on real-world technological challenges.

Francine Conway

Rutgers Chancellor-Provost