Project to Include a Biowall, First of Its Kind at a U.S. University

NEW YORK, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Turner Construction Company, the nation's largest general builder of education facilities, has been selected by Drexel University to manage construction of the Constantine Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building on the University's main campus in Philadelphia, Pa. Upon completion in June 2011, the 138,000 sq. ft. facility will house thirty-nine research and teaching laboratories for bio-medical engineering, biology and chemistry and a fossil preparation lab.

The $49.7 million integrated sciences building will also feature a five-story atrium and a biowall, the first of its kind at a United States university. The biowall will act as a natural air filter which removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and CO2 from the air as it passes through the wall. Air is actively forced through the wall of plants and highly specialized biological components actively degrade pollutants into water and carbon dioxide. The clean air is then distributed throughout the building.

"We are proud to continue our relationship with Drexel University and serve as the construction manager to deliver this energy-efficient education facility to benefit the students and faculty of this premier university," said Michael J. Kuntz, Vice President and Regional General Manager of Turner's Philadelphia operations.

The design is environmentally sensitive and will become Drexel's first Silver LEED certified building from the U.S. Green Building Council.

About Turner

Turner is the leading general builder in the U.S., ranking first or second in the major segments of the building construction field. During 2008, Turner completed $10.7 billion of construction. Turner is the only builder offering clients a nationwide network of offices across the U.S. Founded in 1902, the firm is a subsidiary of HOCHTIEF, a publicly traded company and one of the world's leading international construction service providers. For more information, visit Turner's website at www.turnerconstruction.com.

SOURCE Turner Construction Company

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