The Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology (CASE) conducts interdisciplinary research focused on next generation building technologies for a sustainable built environment. It addresses the need for accelerated innovation of radically new architectural systems capable of harnessing local ecological energy, and integrating better with both human and natural systems. CASE is a multi-institutional and professional office research collaboration co-hosted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Through this partnership, the boundaries of environmental performance in urban building systems on a global scale are being tested using actual building projects as test beds.