District Energy Facility (DEF)

Exterior District Energy Facility (DEF) Rendering

District Energy Facility (DEF)

Type: New Construction

Client: Harvard Engineering & Utilities
Architect: Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Contractor: Bond Brothers, Inc.
Size: 55,000 SF
Completed: 2019

Awards:
2021 A'N Best of Design Awards - Honorable Mention in the Facade, Infrastructure 
2021 Metropolis Planet Positive Awards, Civic Cultural Finalist
2018 DNA Paris Awards - Honorable Mention 
2022 Boston Society of Architects, Honor Awards for Design Excellence
2021 Featured in Architectural Record magazine, and the Wall Street Journal
Chicago Athenaeum – American Architecture Award, Winner, 2022
Dezeen Awards, 2022 - Architectural Lighting, Longlisted
Architizer A+, 2022 - Factories + Warehouses Finalist, Architecture + Photography & Video Finalist
World Architecture Festival, 2022 - Shortlist for Production, Energy & Recycling
World Architecture Festival, 2022 - Shortlist for Colour in Architecture
World Architecture News, 2022 - Finalist, Urban Landscape
The Plan Award, 2022 - Finalist, Production
A'N Best of Design Awards, 2021 - Winner, Infrastructure
BSA Honor Award for Design Excellence, 2021 - Honor Award
Metropolis Planet Positive Awards, Civc Cultural Finalist, 2021
DNA Paris Awards, 2018 - Honorable Mention

Publications:
Architectural Record Magazine
Wall Street Journal in 2021, coordinated through Brigid O'Rourke

The 55,000 SF District Energy Facility (DEF) primarily is comprised of mechanical and electrical spaces that houses energy production, energy conversion, and energy distribution equipment. The building is constructed at one time, with equipment and distribution infrastructure installed in phases to coordinate with future Harvard development projects. The new facility is envisioned to have equipment that generates hot water and electricity through Combined Heat & Power systems and hot water boilers, chilled water with high efficiency electric centrifugal chillers, and to distribute electricity at 13.8 kV. A noteworthy element of the DEF is the a 1.3 million gallon tank for storing chilled water produced off-peak, when electricity is less expensive, and distributed during daytime hours to buildings as needed. The facility is fully integrated with the existing steam infrastructure at Blackstone and has been design with N+1 redundancy. Resiliency was integral to the layout and planning, focusing on regional impacts from climate change.

Phase 1	Total
• 4,000 tons cooling	• 15,000 tons cooling
• 56,000 MBH heating	• 140,000 MBH heating
• 2.6 MW electricity	• 7.5MW electricity
• 10 MVA electric switching station	• 20 MVA electric switching station