BUILT Lab

The Building Science Lab to Advance Teaching (BUILT) is a building science research lab geared towards undergraduate students, located in Portland State University's School of Architecture. The lab is equipped with computers, sensors, design-simulation software, and fabrication tools for the research and analysis of existing building performance and the testing of proposed designs.

BUILT was created to address the pressing need for future architecture and engineering professionals to have a robust education in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) discipline of building science. Understanding how buildings use energy and other resources is critical to the design and engineering of green buildings.

Research by Firm

BUILT was made possible by a $300,000 grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation. The foundation supports research programs for science, engineering, and medical research as well as undergraduate education programs. This generous grant made it possible to expand the School of Architecture's Research-Based Design Initiative through the creation of BUILT as well as its support for more building science research opportunities for undergraduate students in coursework.

Research by Topic

The lab also encourages the more-rapid integration of building science strategies, materials, and systems by conducting student-led simulations or post-occupancy analysis of existing buildings and applying this research to projects currently under design through collaboration with professional practitioners. Students taking engineering and architecture classes in environmental design, and building technology will have an opportunity to use the equipment in the lab for assigned research projects related to monitoring how buildings work, including lighting levels, thermal comfort, and energy use.

BUILT Lab Tools

Why Is It Important?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the operation of buildings consumes 41 percent of the primary energy and is responsible for 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. These numbers exclude the significant environmental impact of manufacturing, transporting, installing, maintaining, and eventually demolishing materials used in building construction. While other sectors have been reducing energy use and carbon emissions over the last 30 years, commercial buildings have increased their energy use per square foot by over 8 percent. Furthermore, the total square footage of these buildings has increased by almost 60 percent over the same time period. In addition, the energy intensity of certified green buildings can vary dramatically, leading many building science experts to conclude that the traditional green-building rating systems may not suffice to ensure the lowest possible energy usage in new and retrofit buildings.

Resources

As an education resource, BUILT goes beyond the physical constraints of the lab. BUILT partners with faculty that wish to promote active learning and interdisciplinary environments through an integration of building science. Since its opening in October of 2015, BUILT has supported the development and execution of three building science research assignments in large, lecture-based architectural courses: Intro to Environmental Design and Architecture and Cultural History II + III. In addition, BUILT has been in the same role of supporting three smaller, seminar-based courses in both the School of Architecture and the Maseeh College of Engineering. BUILT supported these courses through the development of worksheets, introductory lectures, training and troubleshooting. Simultaneously, BUILT provided tools, training, and knowledge for the students partaking in the Research-Based Design Initiative courses, as well as for a variety of other students seeking to explore, measure, and analyze site conditions and design decisions.