Creech & Associates of Charlotte is the architect of UNC Charlotte's new $76-million Energy Power and Infrastructure Center, or EPIC building, dedicated Friday, November 16.
"The dedication of this building culminates five years of creative planning, design, and construction," said David Creech, AIA, managing principal of the firm. "The EPIC building provided numerous challenges for the design team including the integration of a high-bay testing lab (two-story space with overhead crane) in a building that also houses labs that produce microprocessors. We accomplished this by physically isolating these parts of the building into appropriate zones. The academic programs in EPIC rely on community business partners, and the lobby and adjacent rooms are easily adaptable for events that showcase the mission of the School of Engineering.
"Another significant challenge for the firm was to design a building which was a responsible user of energy, thus leading by example," Creech added. "The building utilizes an advanced mechanical system known as 'chilled beams' which, along with other measures, reduces energy usage by up to 30 percent. Additional conservation measures include less technical systems such as natural day lighting, solar control, gray water recycling, rain gardens and cisterns.
"Creech & Associates places a high level of importance on sustainability, not only because of social responsibility but also to reduce operating expenses," he added. "EPIC is on track to be the University's first LEED Gold building, a rating which is very difficult for a laboratory building to achieve. The firm has designed numerous buildings to LEED standards, including all of the buildings at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis and civic buildings throughout the Southeast."
Learn more at http://www.creech-design.com
