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WINEMAKING PRACTICAL WINERY & VINEYARD 122 WINES&VINES January 2016 I magine a facility where the best equipment and high-tech laboratories are dedicated to the study of enology and viticulture in Washington state. Imagine that facility is dedicated to researching unique regional grape- growing and winemaking challenges and opportunities as well as teaching students the best practices in winemaking to prepare them for careers in the Washington wine industry. That was the vision of the Wine Science Center Development Authority, a collaboration between the city of Richland, Wash., Washington State University (WSU) and industry stakeholders. In 2015, that vision was realized in the new Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center (WSC) at WSU Tri-Cities in Richland. Public-private partnership The WSC was funded by an innovative public- private partnership. Public funding came from the state of Washington and a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Association. Land adjacent to the WSU Tri-Cities campus was donated by the Port of Benton. Recognizing the importance of research and a quality edu- cation focused on Washington wines, the Wine Science Center Development Authority, a coali- tion of wine industry professionals, oversaw the planning and construction of the Wine Science Center. Much of the equipment was provided through private donations from Cypress Semi- conductors, Spokane Industries, Scott Labora- tories, WECOtek and Mid-Columbia Forklift. The total facility construction cost was $15 million, with an additional $8 million in equip- ment. The total project cost was $23 million. The facility totals 39,000 square feet that includes a 9,600-square-foot fermentation floor with 192 individually temperature con- trolled 200-liter (L) fermentors, a cold room for cooling grapes, two additional tempera- ture-controlled fermentation rooms, a winery laboratory, and equipment and wine storage rooms; 13,000 square feet of teaching and lab space; a 500-square-foot wine library and an innovative 1,050-square-foot sensory lab. Architectural design ALSC Architects completed the design of the WSC based on various research, teaching and industry needs and includes pedestrian and vehicular traffic patterns for the public and campus sides of the facility. The floor plan reflects these patterns with a public entrance that serves as a focal point and forms a portal between the campus and the adjacent technol- ogy and research park. This entrance opens into a 1,700-square-foot lobby. Providing sweeping views of the entire campus and of the fermentation floor below, the lobby can host wine-related events of up to 120 people and has direct access to an out- door terrace. The main feature in the lobby is a wine library with more than 3,000 bottles of wine presenting the diversity and quality of Washington wines. The architectural inspiration for the design aesthetic of the lobby was an exploded wine barrel motif, with the wine library representing the vessel containing the results of the process: some of the finest wine in the world, including wines produced at WSU. The floor plan includes two separate en- trances for research staff, leading directly to office spaces and research labs. There is a campus/student entrance on the campus side of the facility, allowing circulation in and out of the building without disruption of events in the lobby. Two vertical circulation cores enable groups to tour the multi-level facility in an efficient loop without disrupting activities in the building. The design supports ease of maintenance of mechanical equipment with elevator access to the mechanical penthouse. Efficient, sustainable design WSU is targeting LEED Silver certification for the facility, which includes many sustainable features. The design team looked at the pri- mary sources of energy and water use in labs and wineries and designed systems to effi- ciently meet these functions. In a typical lab, the primary energy user is the ventilation system to heat and supply re- placement outside air for the exhaust. FSi consulting engineers implemented a heat-re- New Hub for Wine Studies Washington State University welcomes Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Wine Science Center By Ben Roush and Rustin Hall The Wine Science Center is located adjacent to a trial vineyard planted in 2014. Trial plantings will comple- ment the university's growing viticulture program. FSI ENGINEERS