The Evelyn M. Anderson Hall at Carleton College in Minnesota has been recognized with a 2024 I2SL Sustainable Laboratory Award for Excellence in Decarbonization and Building Reuse. Carleton’s journey exemplifies the importance of holistic planning, sustainable collaboration, and stakeholder engagement in achieving sustainable expansion.

Carleton’s existing three science buildings challenged the college’s projected space needs and tight energy budget mandated by infrastructure and utility capacities. Anderson Hall, completed in 2020, was constructed in the footprint of a demolished building and attached to the envelopes and structural members of two existing buildings that were renovated to create an integrated complex.

Even with a 33 percent increase in total square footage, the building’s energy-efficient measures decreased overall energy consumption from 40 million British Thermal Units (BTU) in the original building to 23.5 million BTU in the new design, a 41 percent reduction.  Leading by example, Carleton College proves that institutions can successfully navigate the complexities of infrastructure limitations and energy efficiency mandates to realize carbon neutrality goals while fostering campus growth and innovation.