Joyce Cummings Center - Office of Sustainability

Opened in fall 2021, the Joyce Cummings Center is an ultra-efficient seven story building on the Tufts Medford/Somerville campus. Ruth Bennett, director of strategic capital programs at Tufts and project manager for Cummings Center, and the project team designed this building with a low energy-use intensity target and incorporated a number of sustainability features with the goal of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Joyce Cummings Center utilizes:

(Alonso Nichols/Tufts University)

2 heat recovery wheels
a heat recovery chiller
a rooftop solar array
triple glazing on windows for temperature control
ample natural light and efficient lighting
high-performance insulation
occupancy sensors
a plaza that incorporates drought-resistant plants

The most efficient building on the Medford/Somerville campus as of 2021, the Joyce Cummings Center is a giant step towards reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Joyce Cummings Center earned national recognition from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), at its annual convention in 2023. PROCON, the firm responsible for the JCC’s construction, was presented with the Excellence in Construction Eagle Award for the project.