William McDonough + Partners
Moffett Field, California
Despite legend, the orange drink Tang is not among NASA innovations that benefit life on earth. But the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has pioneered such technologies as high-efficiency solar cells to support life in space. So when its Ames Research Center received a grant to build a new facility, NASA seized the opportunity to showcase its state-of-the-art sustainability achievements.
“We wanted to build the greenest building in the federal government and create a unique demonstration of NASA technology in the built environment,” says Steve Zornetzer, NASA Ames's associate director.
The Center, located in the San Francisco Bay area, found a firm with like principles in William McDonough + Partners. The architects designed two curving bars with a connecting lobby. A narrow floor plate maximizes daylight and natural ventilation. As the client wanted flexible space that could be easily reconfigured over its lifespan, the design team put the structure on the outside, so no internal columns disrupt the floor plan. The two-story steel exoskeleton did not cost more than a typical structural system and doubles as a support for shading devices. Highlights of the LEED Platinum'certified building include a geothermal chilled-beam cooling system, fuel cells, forward-osmosis graywater recycling, and intelligent building-control software. The result: an extremely efficient building that “learns” over time to reduce energy consumption. (It has dropped from 2 to 1.5 watts per square foot since it opened, with a goal of 1.1 watts—typical building usage being 3 to 4 watts, according to the client.)
“The biggest innovation is the integration of all the technologies and passive strategies to get the most value,” says project architect Alastair Reilly. “You don't need rocket science to build a green building, but, in this case, we were actually able to use rocket science.”
Architect: William McDonough + Partners — William McDonough, principal; Alastair Reilly, Michelle Amt, design architects
Architect of record/engineers/landscape architect: AECOM
Consultants: Siteworks Studio (landscape); Loisos + Ubbelohde (lighting/daylighting/energy); MBDC (materials assessment); TBD Consulting (cost estimating)
General Contractor: Swinerton Builders
Client: NASA Ames Research Center
Size: 50,000 square feet
Total project Cost: $27.8 million
Completion date: December 2012
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