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By Fay Harvey

PASADENA, Calif.— After five years in the making, California Institute of Technology’s (Caltech) Resnick Sustainability Center (RSC) has finally opened its doors to begin critical climate and environmental sustainability research.��

The 80,000 square-foot facility, designed by Los Angeles-based Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign and built by Greeley, Colo.-headquartered Hensel Phelps, is a multi-story nucleus for the institute’s research on sustainability challenges and solutions, supporting education and research in the areas of solar solutions, climate, water, ecology and more.��

“We wanted the building to serve as that connective scientific hub,” said Sarah Reisman, chair of RSI Building Committee, in a statement. “Beyond that, it is also a beautiful connecting piece between the southern and northern parts of campus.”��

The RSC, which is on track to earn LEED Platinum certification, is home to four research centers with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.��

The top floor, the Solar Science and Catalysis Center, is devoted to studying solar energy and the synthesis of new materials. Academic programs will use the building’s solar roof to test real-world conditions. The building’s Remote Sensing Center will allow researchers to operate satellites in the stratosphere to monitor environmental factors such as soil moisture, sea levels and methane emissions. The Ecology and Biosphere Engineering Facility will support the study of diverse microorganisms using molecular biology lab and instrumentation, and the Translational Science and Engineering Facility will be dedicated to STEM-related programs and the development of sustainable technologies.��

The RSC’s educational spaces are on the second floor and will serve all types of disciplines with undergraduate labs and active-learning classrooms that focus on group work and presentations, offering features like retractable walls that allow learning areas to be converted into one large space.��

The building features many exterior and interior sustainable elements. The high-performance envelope includes a timber-framed atrium that lowers embodied carbon, while the interior core of the building is constructed with concrete to dampen vibration. The building faces west, maximizing natural light, and is lined with solar shading fins to reduce heat and minimize glare. The rooftop utilizes photovoltaic arrays and native plantings, and flow of stormwater aid in the building’s sustainability efforts. In addition, biophilic design weaves RSC’s colors with natural materials and fabrics. ��

The building has already earned numerous awards, including the Foothill Design Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), an International Architecture Award, a Southern California Development Forum Design Award, AIA’s Next LA Honor Award and an Innovation by Design Award from Fast Company.��

“This opening marks a new beginning rooted in our shared determination to leave people and the planet better than we found them,” said Stewart Resnick, who together with wife Lynda donated $750 million gift to Caltech, motivating the RSC project. “By bringing together some of the world’s brightest minds to advance science-based solutions, this new center will be a force for driving innovation and hope that humanity can rise to the great existential challenge of our lifetime.”��