Project

ENGINEERING DISCOVERY BUILDING

Austin, TX

The University of Texas at Austin is constructing a new Engineering Discovery Building (EDB) to enhance research, teaching, and collaboration within the Cockrell School of Engineering. The project began in March 2023 and is expected to be completed by December 2025.

It will be a seven-story structure covering approximately 210,000 square feet and will house the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering.

The Engineering Discovery Building is designed to support advanced research in areas such as biomaterials, chemical synthesis, geomechanics, and production engineering.

It will feature flexible, reconfigurable research labs, integrated teaching labs, classrooms, and technology-rich collaboration spaces.

The building is also intended to foster a collaborative environment, with thematic neighborhoods of research labs to promote teamwork and facilitate industry partnerships.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Collaborated with Mike Schuller & Associates to design a condensate water reuse system where the water can be used in cooling systems.
  • The system contributes to the University of Texas broader efforts to conserve water and reduce dependence on potable water.
  • System robustness, ease of installation, and reduced maintenance frequency meets and surpasses the goals of one of Houston’s leading contractor, Vaughn Construction. 

Solution

Net Zero Water utilized a system that only operates based on the tank level. In this setup, when the condensate storage tank reaches full capacity, the pump is automatically activated to transfer the stored condensate to the cooling system

The final packaged design was optimized to comply with spatial constraints while achieving internal hydro-testing and appropriate electrical inspection requirements.  

The system is controlled via a simplified interface ensuring simple and clear operation for the university’s maintenance staff.

The system will be commissioned in early 2025.

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