EBC Ruth H. Silman Award for Climate Change Project of the Year
Award Project: Boston University’s Center for Computing & Data Sciences
Award Recipients:
- Boston University
- Haley & Aldrich, Inc.
- WSP
- Fort Point Associates, A Tetra Tech Company
- AECOM Technical Services, Inc.
- KPMB Architects
- BR+A Consulting Engineers
- Transsolar KlimaEngineering
- The Green Engineer, Inc.
- Entuitive
- LeMessurier
- Nitsch Engineering
- The Vertex Companies, LLC
- Suffolk
The EBC Ruth H. Silman Award for Climate Change Project of the Year is awarded to Boston University’s Center for Computing & Data Sciences. At 345,000 square feet, the Center is Boston’s largest fossil-fuel free building, integrating an incredible array of climate-resilient and efficiency features into its design.
The building features a geothermal closed loop system providing 90% of the building’s thermal capacity, with electric boilers and chillers to cover peak periods. Solar installations on campus address 23% of the building’s electricity usage, with the rest matched by the BU Wind project in South Dakota. In addition, exterior louvers reduce solar heat gain, triple-glazed windows reduce heat loss, and green roofs capture rainwater and reduce the urban heat island effect. To make the Center more resilient to future sea level rise, it was built higher than the City’s suggested design guidelines.
Many other features of the design and construction prioritized climate resiliency and mitigation, including a 6% reduction in embodied carbon, placing the Center for Computing & Data Sciences on the leading edge of sustainable design in the region.
Presenting the Award:
Oliver Sellers-Garcia, Green New Deal Director
City of Boston, Massachusetts
Award Photos
To honor and acknowledge the special contributions of Ruth H. Silman to the field of environmental law and the environmental community at large in New England, and in particular her passion and advocacy concerning climate change, a resolution of the Board of Directors on May 17, 2023 advanced the name of the EBC Award for Climate Change Project of the Year award to the Ruth H. Silman Award for Climate Change Project of the Year.EBC Award for Climate Change Project of the Year
Award Project: Langone Park & Puopolo Playground Renewal
Award Recipients:
- Boston Parks and Recreation Department
- Boston Water and Sewer Commission
- Weston & Sampson Engineers, Inc.
- Woods Hole Group, Inc.
- Tortora Consulting, Inc.
- Feldman Geospatial
- Pare Corporation
- WES Construction Corp.
The EBC Award for Climate Change Project of the Year is awarded to the renewal of Langone Park & Puopolo Playground in recognition of the interdisciplinary approach to designing for climate change resulting in a signature waterfront park in the City of Boston. The project provides critical, equitable, and climate-resilient active and passive recreation opportunities to a diverse, multi-generational population and the resilient solutions reflect an innovative combination of climate adaptation and mitigation considerations with high design value. The project acts as a proof of concept for the City of Boston’s commitment to Climate Resilient Design and serves as a testament to sustainable development and resiliency.
Presenting the Award:
Bethany Card
Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Award Photos
