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±ØÍþÌåÓý¹Ù·½APPÏÂÔØ joined H+L Architecture and Merrick & Company in a Design-Build contract with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to build the Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility (IBRF). At IBRF, researchers worked on improving the efficiency of the production of ethanol from biomass, specifically corn stover, which is all parts of the corn plant except the kernel. Research also took place on ethanol production from wood chips and switchgrass.

±ØÍþÌåÓý¹Ù·½APPÏÂÔØ achieved a LEED Gold certified building for NREL, which was a huge challenge given the large energy loads from the industrial equipment.
±ØÍþÌåÓý¹Ù·½APPÏÂÔØ provided industrial process design assistance to NREL and managed all of the industrial equipment and process control and instrumentation engineering and installation, totaling over $4 million.

Furthermore, NREL expanded their research capability at the South Table Mountain Campus in Golden. ±ØÍþÌåÓý¹Ù·½APPÏÂÔØ constructed a new office building and renovated existing laboratories. For the support of sustainable initiatives, NREL nominated ±ØÍþÌåÓý¹Ù·½APPÏÂÔØ for the State of Colorado’s Environmental Leadership Program. ±ØÍþÌåÓý¹Ù·½APPÏÂÔØ won a Bronze Level award in 2010.