Decarbonized Energy Systems for the New Volpe Center

Leslie Norford, George Macomber (1948) Professor in Construction Management in the Department of Architecture
Christoph Reinhart, Professor of Architecture
David Hsu, Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Planning


Proposed Work

MIT’s redevelopment of the Volpe Center demands a vision for energy infrastructure and systems commensurate with the intellectual and social benefits the revitalized center will bring to the Institute and to Cambridge. We propose to develop an energy system that integrates building and infrastructure designs to meet the considerable climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges of the site. To do this, we will create and apply in a classroom/studio setting a design and evaluation workflow that will support the development of a carbon-free, resilient Volpe Center and will be available for professional use on other projects. This close-to-home project would focus attention and discussion within the MIT community about our efforts towards climate change, and how we can better exemplify efforts in the broader city and academic community.