Forty-three percent energy-cost reduction despite a 33% increase in new square footage! Carleton College’s new science complex is a testament to what’s possible when modernizing an existing building.

The new Evelyn M. Anderson Hall science complex brings together programs previously spread across five buildings to create one leading-edge, integrated science community — establishing an immersive culture of connecting intellectual curiosity and research.

Modernizing two existing facilities and demolishing a third to create space for a high-performance addition, the team designed a new sun-splashed atrium that unites the three structures and channels light throughout the building. To help the college achieve its mandate of not increasing campus energy consumption through new construction or renovation projects, Page's in-house sustainability team incorporated energy modeling into the project’s earliest phase. This approach, coupled with the allocation of wind power generated onsite, achieved a 38.4% decrease in overall energy consumption — despite the 33% increase in total square footage — and a 43.2% energy cost-savings reduction, earning a USGBC LEED Platinum certification.

Capped by an arched zinc roof that unifies the three-building composition, the exterior combines Carleton blended brick and glass with local Minnesota granite. A spectacular transparent room projects through the historic columns and overlooks the atrium, while a cascading staircase activates the space and connects all levels.

Transparent labs and classrooms put science on display, engaging students in meaningful research and encouraging the kind of serendipitous conversations that lead to collaboration and discovery. Here, students engage in a network of informal spaces for study and socializing, creating a hum of activity — a living room environment, a home-away-from-home.

Evelyn M. Anderson Hall offers the best in interdisciplinary learning, aligning with Carleton’s mission of “Unmatched teaching in a close-knit community where intellectual curiosity leads to a lifetime of exploration.