LEED Platinum

Located across from University of California, Berkeley, The David Brower Center is named after the first Executive Director of the Sierra Club. The LEED Platinum Center combines office space, affordable housing and public education space. Completed in 2009, this $46m mixed-use project is 55,000 square feet of space exclusively for environmental non-profits and well as public education space, a restaurant, underground public and private parking and an adjoining 6-story, 97 unit low income housing complex.

Integrated design and a low carbon footprint design philosophy was incorporated from the beginning of the design phase, with the design team working closely throughout the design and construction of the building. Lifecycle costs of building construction, operation and maintenance were taken into account during design and The David Brower Center has set specific operational efficiency targets and benchmarks for the life of the building. The Brower Center is designed to be a model of sustainability, utilizing cutting edge energy saving technologies and products, the building is expected to be more than 50% efficient than Title 24. Environmental technologies and architectural elements related to siting, daylighting, natural ventilation, structure, photovoltaic power generation, and solar hot water Some of these features include:

• 100% Daylighting of office areas, high efficiency lighting with automatic controls.
• Low energy mechanical systems, radiant heating and cooling using structural slabs.
• Operable windows and low pressure displacement ventilation
• Photovoltaic cells on the roof that will reduce the building’s overall energy consumption to minimal levels and double as a shading device for the roof and fourth floor offices, reducing heat gain.
• Utilized 53% Eco-friendly and recycled construction materials that minimize the structure’s ecological footprint.

Awards:

LEED Platinum