In 2008, California Institute of Technology created the Linde Center for Global Environmental Science to study global climate change. The Linde Center needed a facility that could bring together faculty from chemistry, engineering, geology, environmental science, and other fields. To house the Linde Center, the institute chose to rehabilitate the Henry M. Robinson Laboratory of Astrophysics building, a 1932 structure on the Caltech campus that served as the site for the construction of the 200 inch telescope on Mount Palomar.

The challenge was to make the 40,000-square-foot building functional for the scientists while maintaining its historic characteristics. Originally designed by Russell Porter in collaboration with Mayers Murray & Phillip, the building reflects its historic function in its structure, as well as in the Spanish eclectic-style cast stone ornamentation, light fixtures, and other decorative details abounding in celestial and solar motifs. The building was designed around a coelostat solar telescope extending through all five stories that was erected for the study of the sun and other astronomical objects.

ARG preserved the historically significant architectural spaces on the first and second floor, which house offices, as well as many of the character-defining details, including flooring, lighting fixtures, and doors. Every effort was made to use sustainable materials within the building, and existing elements were reused as much as possible. Previous renovations had removed historic elements on the ground floor, basement, and two subbasement levels, so they were completely refurbished into new laboratory spaces.

The architects, engineers, and scientists collaborated to repurpose the solar tower, along with its instruments. The coelostat now directs daylight through the shaft into a system of mirrors and fiberoptic cables to provide natural light to the underground floors. The 55-foot-deep pit below the subbasement floor that once held one of the instrument’s mirrors now contains 58,000 gallons of water that is chilled at night and used to cool the building during the day by means of radiant ceiling panels. Native plants and a rainwater capture system minimize water usage.

As a result of these and other green design strategies, the Linde + Robinson Lab represents the first LEED Platinum renovation of an historic lab building and has the lowest energy use of any physical science research lab in the United States. The concrete building’s high thermal mass and small punched windows moderate interior temperatures and limit solar heat gain. Caltech also commissioned the design team to study the existing equipment loads of the users planning to move into the building. By monitoring power use and developing energy-efficient alternatives to existing equipment and practices, the design team was able to reduce plug loads for the facility by more than 50 percent.

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California Institute of Technology Linde + Robinson Laboratory

Pasadena, CA, United States

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California Institute of Technology Linde + Robinson Laboratory

Pasadena, CA, United States

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