How the Energy Efficient Buildings in Los Alamos Labs are Built

Course Summary:

Los Alamos National Labs (LANL) needs significant recruitment in response to increasing retirements. This has presented LANL with a unique opportunity to form and foster an exceptional work environment that supports its mission and attracts and retains the people most qualified to fulfill that mission. In order to do so LANL decided to create and “exceptional work environment”.

Learning Objective:

What is an "exceptional work environment?" This work environment includes and must consider the:

• Individual laboratory and/or office space.
• Tools and equipment used by an individual and the ease of the human/machine interface.
• Surrounding structure or building and its created climate.
• Interstitial or common space that facilitates population massing and encourages cross communication.
• Transportation (pedestrian and vehicular) options that provide ease of access.
• Natural environment in which the work environment is established.

An exceptional work environment supports and encourages interconnectedness among these elements contributing to efficiencies and productivity. The process of Sustainable Development will be a key element to establishing LANL’s exceptional work environment.

The sustainable development concept encompasses the materials to build and maintain a building, the energy and water needed to operate the building, and the ability to provide a healthy and productive environment for occupants of the building. Often, sustainable development has been referred to as climate-sensitive design, whole-building design, or high-performance buildings. Much of the original work in this field was done under the auspices of passive solar design – for which LANL was a national and international leader.

For further details click on the Course Topics #15 hyperlink below and the quiz.

Review the quiz before studying the course.

Course Content

Course Author: Los Alamos National Laboratory