Johnson Controls is building a new state-of-the-art engineering centre and laboratory where 250 engineering and technology-focused employees will design and test the very best in smart, healthy and sustainable building technology.
Johnson Controls will lease the property from owner and developer, Weas Development. Construction and it is expected to be completed in late 2024.
Johnson Controls chair and CEO, George Oliver, said buildings account for nearly 40 per cent of global emissions.
He said the HVAC industry has an opportunity to solve one of today’s most important challenges by applying innovative technologies through healthy, safe and sustainable buildings.
"As part of this journey we are committed to investing in working environments with the tools and resources that accelerate innovation, foster collaboration and improve efficiency, allowing us to deliver world-class solutions to our customers," Oliver said.
"This new facility is an important step for Johnson Controls and a continuing sign of our commitment to innovation and the Milwaukee metro community we call home."
Located across from the current Johnson Controls campus in Glendale, Wisconsin, the 105,000-square-foot building will be a modern space designed for the unique engineering and testing needs of today, while remaining flexible enough to accommodate future needs. The design will allow for cross-team planning and exchange of ideas.
Teams will focus on hardware and software engineering, including the OpenBlue suite of digital solutions, Building Automation Systems & Controls, and materials testing.
The new facility will utilise low-impact development and include Johnson Controls equipment, stormwater retention, EV charging stations, and other technologies focused on efficiency and enhanced air filtration.
There will be reductions in embodied carbon through building reuse, as well as reduced and diverted construction waste throughout the construction process.
Weas Development and Johnson Controls are working with Mortenson Construction, Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) and CBRE Global Commercial Real Estate Services to develop the new engineering centre.
The headquarters building proudly holds a Platinum rating of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) while the campus earned a WELL Building Standard Health Safety seal, certifying that evidence-based measures and best practices for the health and safety of employees have been adopted and verified.
The campus also has many sustainable features, including a solar thermal system on the roof that produces hot water for the campus (except the cafeteria), a total of 2,837 therms annually.
It features a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array totaling 1,452 panels covering 31,115 square feet; it generates 250 kW to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 827,000 pounds each year.
There is a closed-loop heat exchanger relying on 272 geothermal wells that use subsurface temperatures to warm and cool the water supply.
The heat pumps will reduce winter heating costs by around 29 per cent and there are skylights and increased window space that reduce use of energy for lighting.
About 12,000 square feet of green roof that reduces runoff, insulates the building, and will extend the life of the roof and a 30,000-gallon cistern captures rainwater, reducing consumption for low-flow fixtures and dual-flush toilets by 77 per cent and saving of 595,000 gallons annually.
This is in addition to more than 13 acres of native prairie vegetation and nearly three acres of parking lot surfaced with permeable pavers, allowing water to filter through to a gravel base before moving via groundwater to a detention pond.