In less than two years, the deep hole at the corner of 7th and Mission Streets in San Francisco will be the site of greenest federal building in the United States. The 605,000 sq. ft., 18-story San Francisco Federal Building will set precedents with its focus on community space and its intelligent use of natural light and heat, as well as such eco-friendly products as wood sustainably harvested from local forests and carpets containing recycled content. The tower will even be built with “green” cement...
“There isn’t anything quite like it,†said Tim Christ, Project Manager at the design architect firm Morphosis. The “green†cement, Christ explains, contains a 50% mix of granulated blast furnace slag — a steelmaking by-product that usually winds up in a landfill. In addition to making the new cement stronger, the mix cuts the need for cement in half. “The manufacture of Portland cement worldwide contributes approximately 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions,†Christ notes. A ton of Portland cement produces a ton of CO2.
The new building will be heated and cooled with natural systems, eliminating the waste and expense of artificial light and heat. Most workstations will have direct access to sunlight, cutting the use of energy for lighting by 26%. Computer-operated windows and a sophisticated automatic vent system will provide cooling to 70% of the building, reducing annual air-conditioning costs by 86%. The improved ventilation is expected to drastically reduce the “sick building syndrome†that plagues traditional office buildings. Breaking down traditional office hierarchies, corner offices will be eliminated to provide city views for 90% of the workers. Subsidized public transportation for employees will reduce traffic on busy city streets. In fact, despite its 1,800 employees, the tower’s garage will offer only 47 parking spaces. In an effort to reach out to the community, the new building will include a fitness center, conference center, daycare center, sky gardens, and a large open-air cafeteria — all open to the public.
This project promises to draw San Francisco into the growing sustainable buildings movement that has already taken root in Europe. San Francisco architect Craig Henritzy calls it “a major coup for the green movement in office buildings.†— Jennifer Liss
www.commongroundmag.com
No Comments
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.