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Tech

Boston University is building an enormous new building that looks like a Jenga tower and uses no fossil fuels

Mary Meisenzahl
Feb 19, 2020, 10:19 AM ET
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Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects
  • Boston University is adding an environmentally sustainable building to its campus.
  • The building, which is set to be finished in 2022, will not use any fossil fuels. 
  • The Center for Computing and Data Science will be the largest building on campus and incorporate energy-saving technology.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Boston University is taking a major step towards sustainability with its 19-story, 350,000 square-foot building planning to be finished in 2022. The building, which will be the tallest on BU's campus, will combine the math, statistics, and computer science departments. 

Plans for the building are in line with the university's climate action plan, which was approved in 2017. The plan revolves around eliminating carbon emissions totally be 2040, estimated to cost $141 million, based on the city's suggestions for rising sea levels. The building was designed by KPMB Architects.

Check out the renderings here.

The 19-story building will stand five feet above the recommendation from the city of Boston based on forecasts of sea-level rise, protecting it from flooding of the nearby Charles River.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

Source: City of Boston

BU says the building will be the school's largest and the most energy-efficient building when it's finished in 2022.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

The building will be a "vertical campus," with highly-trafficked labs and classrooms on lower floors, department rooms on upper floors, and social gathering spaces on the roof.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

The building will be totally free of fossil fuels and incorporate energy-saving tech.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

Energy for the building will come from geothermal wells, and no gas pipes will be connected to it.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

Special, triple-glazed windows will manage interior temperatures to reduce energy use.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

Designers incorporated details like shading systems designed to reduce glare on computer screens.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

The design isn't only focused on environmental concerns. As an academic building, some rooms will feature whiteboard walls that foster learning and collaboration.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

Boston University is located in downtown Boston, so the design also incorporates the city itself.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

The design includes sheltered pathways from harsh Boston weather, along with green spaces.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

They will connect historic Brownstones to other buildings on campus.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects

Here's what the building will look like on Boston's skyline, along the Charles River.

Boston University new building.
KPMB Architects