The University of Oregon Health + Energy Research Consortium aims to dramatically reduce energy consumption and maximize human health by conducting research that transforms the design, construction and operation of built environments. Collaboration between innovative industry professionals and academic researchers in the disciplines of architecture, biology, chemistry, engineering, and urban design provides sharp focus to our research agenda and accelerates the impact of our scientific discoveries.

The Energy Studies in Buildings Laboratory (ESBL) has established an international position of leadership in the areas of indoor environmental quality, passive design systems, energy efficiency, and integrated design and engineering practices over the past 35 years. ESBL has helped the University of Oregon Department of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Allied Arts become a leading architecture program for sustainable design principles in the USA.

The Biology and Built Environment (BioBE) Center is recognized as an international leader in the emerging field of microbiology of the built environment. This research is beginning to transform our conception of human health, and the role of indoor and outdoor environments in supporting health.

The Health + Energy Research Consortium builds upon the momentum of ESBL and BioBE to create a new, dynamic, and flexible mechanism for the university to engage with industry in joint research and development ventures – providing intellectual space for the meeting of a wide array of disciplines that play integral roles in fostering improved energy efficiency and health outcomes in the built environment.