Fermilab Integrated Engineering Research Center (IERC)

The Integrated Engineering Research Center (IERC) at the Fermilab campus in Batavia, Illinois is a state-of-the-art facility with laboratories prepared to deliver on major initiatives in particle physics and to further Fermilab’s neutrino science program. The 82,000 SF, two-story building is Fermilab’s largest purpose-built laboratory and office building since 1974 and is the first cross-divisional facility on Fermilab’s campus. The focus for the IERC was to unite researchers and engineers spread across a 6,800 acre-campus within a new, centralized, open-concept facility located in the core of the campus. The IERC is directly adjacent to the iconic Wilson Hall and is connected via a 25-ft-long enclosed walkway at the ground floor and level 1.

The new facility was designed with adaptability in mind to maximize flexibility for wherever science may take particle physics over the next 50 years. The IERC will be home to various detector development projects in support of DUNE (Deep-Underground Neutrino Experiment) and houses a variety of ISO classified cleanroom facilities as well as project development laboratories that are capable of “up-scaling” in clean-class if research programs require more stringency in the future. The open work areas include flexible working spaces with modular components to foster an interdisciplinary collaborative environment.

Challenges overcome throughout the project included removing and reorganizing existing underground infrastructure and installing a road that crosses over an active accelerator beam line during the project's enabling phase, achieving the desired aesthetics with creative solutions while navigating procurement challenges, accommodating vibration sensitive equipment and acoustic requirements while considering the flexibility needed for future uses, and meeting the High Performance Sustainable Building Guiding Principles as defined by the Department of Energy.