The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) is a statewide organization involved in various marine research and educational programs.

A $14.5 million boost helped to build a new 25,000 square-foot innovation hub located in Houma, Louisiana – the first major expansion of LUMCON's research center that will help it continue fighting to preserve and defend Louisiana's eroding coast and wetlands.

Architect EskewDumezRipple designed the Blue Works research campus, with project installation completed by Baton Rouge-based Roofing Solutions. 

The goal was to create a facility that would attract students and researchers throughout the nation to come study environmental issues faced by Louisiana's coastal wetlands and the Gulf of Mexico.

“When it comes to the location of the facility, it’s way down the bayou on the edge of disappearing civilization here in Southeast Louisiana. The client was looking for a place where they can engage publicly with the community about their mission and help raise awareness,” said Chris Jackson, Senior Construction Administrator at EskewDumezRipple.

Since the research facility was built to study and address environmental issues, it was important that the research center itself was designed as an environmentally friendly building from the start. 

EskewDumezRipple used over 6,500 square-feet of Kingspan’s KarrierPanel with Dri-Design custom painted aluminum panels as a top facade.

Kingspan’s IMPs provide exceptional thermal efficiency benefits. A high-performance, energy-efficient building envelope solution, IMPs have exceptional air and weather tightness that significantly reduces heat loss or heat gain, ensuring the comfort of building occupants while reducing energy consumption and lowering carbon emissions. 

KarrierPanel is Kingspan’s cost-effective universal barrier wall alternative solution to traditional multi-component wall systems. KarrierPanel utilizes Kingspan’s fully engineered KarrierRail to securely and safely transmit loads from a wide range of non-combustible façade options to the structural supports behind the insulated panel. 

Kingspan’s KarrierPanel allows for faster building close-in and dry-in for reduced building costs, eliminates thermal-bridging energy losses associated with standard stud/cavity insulation construction and reduces delays in construction experienced with scheduling multiple trades.

“We’re big believers in continuous envelopes in a systems approach,” said Jackson. “Considering the complexity of the façade, elevation and aesthetic goals of that edge of the building where IMPs are used, Kingspan’s KarrierPanel and KarrierRail systems allowed us to interact with other trades for different building pieces – whether it be the curtain wall system or the applied fin system on top. IMPs gave us a lot of flexibility.”

The new facility includes labs for education and research, a 3D printing section, a specialized library, offices, collaborative workspaces, a lecture hall and exhibit spaces. The facility is also open to the public for scientific endeavors.

“The focus on public engagement led to a lot of the spatial decision making, especially when it came to the edge of the building where the Kingspan’s KarrierPanels are used, which is the public space of the project,” said Jackson. “We wanted to play up the light and shadow effect of that edge as well as the spatial sequence of people moving up the ramp, under the system, through the front door and into the incredible atrium.”

IMPs also offer aesthetic flexibility with a vast range of profiles supported by state-of-the-art specialty fabrications. While the sleek look of IMPs paired with custom painted aluminum panels helped to elevate the look of the building, the metal was also a nod to the research facility's unique location. 

According to Jackson, this building is located in a very industrial setting – at the end of a canal dedicated to building ships. As you approach it, the facility grows out of the landscape and floats above the swamp as somewhat of an ark. The metal of the building and metal of the nearby ship materials sharply contrast with the surrounding swamp, creating a fascinating landscape.