Geothermal system design and construction enables Boston’s largest fossil-fuel-free building

Client challenge

Boston University and its project team had ambitious plans for constructing its brand-new Center for Computing & Data Sciences (CCDS). In addition to becoming a striking addition to Boston’s skyline, the CCDS would be the city’s largest fossil-fuel-free building.

KPMB, the project’s visionary design leader, turned to Haley & Aldrich for geothermal design, geotechnical design, and environmental services because of our history working below ground on BU’s campus and our successful record designing and installing complex geothermal systems in New England.

Our approach

The site constraints posed unusual challenges for the design and installation of the geothermal system. We promoted a concentric well design (the Rygan HPGX system) capable of working to depths of 1,500 feet — the deepest in the United States at the time — to install ground-source heat exchangers that circulate water to exchange heat between the building and deep underlying bedrock.

We worked with Boston University and multiple drilling contractors to test drilling and installation methods that would reduce borehole deviation while controlling the flow of groundwater into the boreholes. Lessons learned from the testing program proved integral to the final design and installation by Skillings & Sons. BR+A led the design of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

The fossil-fuel-free CCDS building opened in 2022 and was certified as the school’s first on-campus LEED Platinum building, cemented the school’s position as a green energy leader in Boston and beyond.

Value delivered

• Delivered a system will meet 90% of the structure’s cooling and heating needs
• Enabled Boston University to achieve its goal of a fossil-fuel-free CCDS building, cementing the school’s position as a green energy leader
• Also contributed to the building’s LEED Platinum status, making it the school’s first on-campus structure with that rating