The Caltech Resnick Sustainability Center (RSC) was envisioned as a cutting-edge research hub to support Caltech’s commitment to solving global environmental, climate and energy challenges. The building brings together scientists, engineers, faculty and students in an environment that fosters collaboration, innovation and community engagement. It also serves as an educational resource, offering teaching laboratories and common meeting spaces to encourage interaction and idea exchange.
Sustainability was a guiding principle of the project in order to meet the university’s environmental goals, which included achieving LEED Platinum certification, and it informed the design and construction process from the very beginning.
Passive solar-shading fins and rooftop photovoltaic arrays reduce the building’s energy use, while mass timber and low-VOC finishes reduce the amount of embodied carbon and protect indoor air quality. Water-saving fixtures, condensate reuse and stormwater dry wells reduce the building’s impact on the environment and increases operational efficiency. Even during construction, sustainable practices — such as reusing $60,000 in guardrails from a prior project — further reduced waste and costs.
Getting It Right the First Time with Early Engagement
Selecting design-build as the project delivery method enabled early collaboration and integrated solutions which were central to the project’s success. The project’s end users — Caltech faculty, researchers and facilities staff — participated in programming sessions, design charrettes and virtual lab walkthroughs. Their input shaped lab layouts, equipment placement and operational workflows, ensuring the final design met both functional needs and user expectations. This approach identified $19 million in value-driven adjustments, which allowed the project to finalize a GMP with less than 1% change orders, and delivered the building on time and on budget.
The Resnick Sustainability Center’s innovative design, collaborative delivery process and LEED Platinum certification exceeded Caltech’s expectations and set a benchmark for innovative, sustainable and high-performance research facilities.
Design-Build Team
| Client/Owner: | California Institute of Technology |
| Design-Builder: | Hensel Phelps |
| Architect: | Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign |
| Engineers: | Saiful Bouquet Structural Engineers; Affiliated Engineers; KPFF |
| Subcontractors: | AHBE | MIG; Bergelectric; Pan-Pacific Mechanical; Brymax; Enclos |
| Project Cost: | $133,323,067 |
| Construction Duration: | 45 Months (construction + precon + design) |
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