National Energy Security Center

This project was a new office building consisting of three stories and partial basement totaling approximately 115,000 square feet of area. The project houses a new Engineering Center for a DOE contractor as well as other tenants. The building location on the campus acts as the entrance into the new Oak Ridge Science and Technology Park at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Being the first project in the new park, the owners desired a prominent presence so that the building became the “gateway” and set the standard for future construction.

The building plan includes a central connector between the two main wings which contains a two story lobby, third floor corporate suite, elevators and break area servicing the entire building while addressing the “L” shape of the site and the street intersection. This central connector along with material and massing changes emphasize the entrance to the building and its relationship to the street intersection. The site development includes a monumental sign at the street intersection further strengthening the presence of the building. Other site amenities include outdoor areas for landscaping and a back yard for dining and congregating, which help to create a park like setting. The landscaping is designed to meet the ORNL requirements of indigenous species and ornamental focus on key areas of the site.