May groundbreaking for the electrical engineering and computer science facility at WWU
Building the region’s first carbon net-neutral collegiate facility
Mortenson’s Seattle-based office will break ground on the region’s first carbon net-neutral collegiate facility in May – the new Kaiser Borsari Hall. The four (4) stories, 54,000-square-foot facility designed by Perkins & Will will house Western Washington University's Bellingham campus's electrical engineering, computer science, and energy science and technology programs.
Kaiser Borsari Hall targets zero carbon and zero energy certifications through the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). Mortenson will implement the Contractor’s Commitment guidelines for green building practices on the jobsite and beyond. Combining these efforts with a Mass Timber/CLT structure and designing to “smart building” standards will significantly reduce the environmental impact of this new facility from construction to operation.
Beyond impressive sustainability goals, the project also showcases the power of female leadership and intentional strides made to amplify diversity in the AEC industry. The predominately female-led project team, includes Mortenson’s Jennifer Kim, Project Executive; Paige Adkinson, Project Manager; Camille Wallace, Project Engineer and Sustainability Champion; and Mary Roggenbuck, MEP Project Engineer; Perkins & Will’s Susan Clark, STEM Planner; Shanni Hanein, Designer; Alycia Schramm, Interior Designer; and Melanie Baron, Designer; and Coughlin Porter Lundeen’s Christen Sanders, Structural Project Manager, and Kristen Smith, Structural Staff Engineer.
“Getting to work on a project that is one of only a handful of projects in the world striving to achieve ILFI certification for Net Zero Energy and Net Zero Carbon is a daunting but incredibly exciting opportunity,” Paige Adkinson, project manager at Mortenson. “What I love about my job most is learning something new every day from a wide range of people. With this project, I am inspired to work with a strong group of female leaders and sustainability experts, collaborate with our trade partners on innovative ways to positively impact the environment and surrounding community, and gain new insights into emerging sustainability efforts in the industry.”
The project team also includes KPFF Consulting Engineers, McKinstry, VECA, Coughlin Porter Lundeen, AEI, Hargis, and Berger Partnership.