Sustainable Design

Stone Brewing Co's Solar Panels

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:36:06 -0500

Sustainable development has always been a core value of Stone Brewing’s business philosophy; from the all-natural ingredients in its acclaimed beers to the Bistro’s emphasis on local, organically produced food, use of reclaimed building materials and environmentally friendly beer garden. In keeping with this theme, the company has recently installed a 312Kw Photovoltaic Solar System on the roof of its brewing facility in the Escondido Research & Technology Center (ERTC).

The system, which consists of 1,561 roof-mounted solar modules, will supply the brewery with up to 43 percent of its energy needs, and is expected to pay for itself in just five years, saving the company more than $3 million in electricity costs. Even more importantly, the clean energy produced by the solar array will offset more than 538,000 pounds of carbon emissions over its lifetime, which is equivalent to planting 204 acres of trees. Designed and installed by local company Borrego Solar Systems, Inc., the system began generating electricity by July 2008 and is among the most productive systems in the State of California. According to Borrego Solar CEO Aaron Hall, “We have designed a system utilizing the most efficient and advanced Solar technology commercially available today, the Sanyo HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin layer) technology.”

Although a solar power component was not included in the building’s initial construction, both the brewery’s ownership and the developer and builder of the facility, JRMC Real Estate owner James McCann, had the foresight to spend additional money upfront to upgrade the load-bearing structure of the entire roof, thus enabling the future installation of a solar power system. Additionally, solar carports are planned for a portion of the brewery and restaurant’s parking area, further maximizing the solar collecting ability of the property. “We’re excited to continue to participate in the move towards sustainable design,” says Stone Brewing CEO Greg Koch. “This system, together with other conservation initiatives at our brewery and restaurant, will help minimize our impact on the environment.”

Point Loma Nazarene University Photovoltaic System

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:51:33 -0500

Point Loma Nazarene University has installed a 450 KW photovoltaic system and has become the first university in San Diego to use solar power to this extent. The system will provide 80% peak energy for six of its major buildings and will reduce CO2 emissions by 586 tons per year. There are hopes for more photovoltaic systems in the future. The photovoltaic system deserves an Orchid in and of itself, but what is even more noteworthy is that this is only one part of an aggressive plan to become a carbon-neutral campus, and to educate students about the importance of sustainable design.

The construction of the solar-powered system was the result of a student research project and ensuing collaboration between students, faculty, and staff. PLNU has also implemented extensive recycling and food composting programs, the use of water-saving toilets, a campus-wide purchasing directive to buy products made from recycled materials, and a commitment to achieve at least a silver LEED rating on all new building projects. When you consider that this is a campus of over 3000 students, faculty, staff and visitors, the impact of these measures is impressive. When you consider that students are given an active role in this effort and are thereby being equipped to address the future’s unprecedented environmental issues, the impact is profound. PLNU deserves an Orchid not only for becoming a leader in “green” university campuses, but also for providing a vital education to students who may one day become our policy-makers, clients, and partners in sustainable design.

Hunter Industries Facility

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:21:00 -0500

The new Hunter Industries corporate office and warehouse in San Marcos is set apart not only by the beautiful palm trees surrounding the facility, but also because of its many sustainability design features. All of the 44,270 square feet of office space and 95,000 square feet of warehouse and distribution space was designed to achieve a LEED-certified designation.

This involved the incorporation of 162 daylight harvesting units to meet 100 percent of day lighting needs; adding two independent photovoltaic systems on the roof to generate a total of 160-220 kilowatts of power; including a “green wall” to the buildings exterior blocking the sun’s heat; and building an EnergyStar “cool roof” to reduce heat gain. As a leader in manufacturing landscape irrigation equipment, Hunter has also become a leader in reducing an office/ warehouse facility’s carbon footprint.

UCSD Student Academic Services Facility

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:14:10 -0500

A beautiful campus can convince a student to attend. At UCSD, one of the newest, the Student Academic Services Facility, reflects the university’s tradition of innovation and exemplifies its commitment to sustainable design. A goal was made for the building to achieve 20 percent better numbers than the current California Title 24 energy efficiency standards. The building was self-certified by UCSD using the LEED rating system.

Walking into the building, a visitor can sense the openness the building was designed to convey. The interior features natural, unfinished materials; exposed mechanical and electrical systems; floating steel stairways; and colored concrete flooring. Outside, corrugated concrete panels were placed in the interior courtyard and huge, tilted stucco panels line the south side of the building. The new building is a great example of green practices adopted by a local university.

SPRINTER Light Rail

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:24:48 -0500

The SPRINTER light rail/rail trail project is a complete revitalization of a 100 year old rail line which provides alternative transportation along a 22 mile corridor extending from Oceanside to Escondido. The project parallels SR 78, and serves Oceanside, Vista, County of SD, San Marcos and Escondido with 15 fully accessible stations providing commuters with an inexpensive solution to leaving their cars behind. At the western terminus the SPRINTER connects with the COASTER, AMTRAK and METROLINK as well as intercity buses. All stations have Breeze bus connections and there are designated stations at Palomar College and San Marcos State University.

The SPRINTER uses state of the art European vehicle design and all stations were engineered to be functional, aesthetic, comfortable and low cost. The SPRINTER is the lowest cost/mile new light rail system in the United States and has been widely praised by its patrons. Vehicles are level boarding, ADA accessible and bicycles are allowed on board. In the Escondido to Vista area there is a continuous rail trail adjacent to the tracks. The next leg of the rail trail extending to Oceanside in now under design.

The service began in March 2008, and has already been awarded the Urban Land Institue (ULI) Smart Growth "Catalyst" Award (2008), Womens Transportation Seminar (WTS) Project of the Year (2008) Award , The Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Project Achievement Award (2008), American Public Works Association (APWA) – Project of the Year (2008), APWA Best Environmental Project under $2 million, Harmony Grove Restoration (2007). Additionally many ancillary Transit Oriented Development projects are now in the design phase which seek to maximize the benefit of accessible and reliable transportation. The SPRINTER was a specifically named project in the origianl TRANSNET sales tax initiative approved by the voters of San Diego County, and will provide residents reliable, safe and affordable transportation for decades to come.

Few can argue about the timeliness of this important addition to our regional transportation infrastructure.

Lux Art Institute

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:17:08 -0500

One of the first San Diego County cultural facilities built with an eye toward environmental sustainability, Lux Art Institute's campus balances artistic exploration with ecological conservation. Located on a four-acre parcel overlooking the San Elijo Lagoon and surrounded by a wildlife preserve that stretches two miles to the Pacific Ocean, Lux incorporates a variety of energy- and water-saving strategies to reduce its impact on the local environment. Designed by architect Renzo Zecchetto, the Artist Pavilion houses a studio and office space on the top floor, with an artist’s residence below. Special design features allow for indoor areas to take advantage of natural air and lighting, reducing the building’s energy consumption. Additionally, several measures were implemented to minimize the environmental impact during construction.

--Giant barn door opens to naturally cool down the studio area and provide views across the valley.

--Several design considerations—including window placement, a floating roof to shade the sunny south side, and sheltering the residence under the mass of the studio—reduce the building’s overall energy usage by over 10 percent compared to similar California buildings.

--Efficient HVAC systems consist of three high-efficiency condensing furnaces. Individual programmable zone thermostats control the operation of each air conditioning system.

--Nearly 75 percent of construction waste was recycled and diverted from the landfill.

--Most materials used during construction consisted of recycled content, and a significant portion was either manufactured or extracted within 500 miles from the site.

--An indoor air-quality management program implemented during construction utilized low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings to maintain a non-toxic environment.

--Windows and skylights increase natural lighting, while interior lighting is minimal. Halogen and low-voltage lighting maintain an average lighting density of 1.5 watt/sq.ft.

--Building design minimizes the amount of indoor light emitted at night. --All storm water runoff is filtered to prevent contamination of the ocean or lagoons.

Just as importantly, Lux is one of the first institutional native landscape projects in San Diego County and is setting a precedent for sustainable gardening in the region. Lux teamed with noted landscape designer Greg Rubin to select more than 750 rare plants that live and grow naturally in the region without needing special maintenance, fertilizers or pesticides. These plants also use up to 50 percent less water and help prevent erosion. Lux Art Institute, slated to be the first LEED-certified “green”art museum in California, opened its doors on November 11, 2007. Designed by renowned architect, Renzo Zecchetto, AIA, whose other significant architectural projects include the award-winning Church of the Nativity in Fairbanks Ranch, Calif., and the Alusa Printing Company in Santiago, Chile. the contemporary crafted “Artist Pavilion” is the first permanent structure for the ambitious Lux Art Institute that had been more than nine years in the making. The building, expected to receive a LEED-certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, is nestled amidst a wildlife preserve above the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Preserve and blends seamlessly into the native landscape. Zecchetto designed Lux to have minimal impact on its natural surroundings while capturing the views of the lagoon and vistas of the nearby Pacific Ocean. Lux is one of the first facilities in the United States with an artist-in-residence program in which significant international, national, and regional artists are invited to live and work on site while producing a commissioned work of art. This one-of-a-kind institution promises not only to let visitors “see art” but also to “see art happen.” The structure includes living space and a working studio for the artist, as well as state-of-the-art exhibition space, administrative office, library and conference room. The opening of Lux marks the completion of the first phase of construction of the expansive project. When done, Lux Art Institute will have two face-to-face buildings separated by a series of gardens. Indoor paths will guide the way through vaulted exhibition spaces, public lecture areas, a library, administrative offices, a museum store and an event plaza at the top of the knoll.

Los Agave Jardin

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:31 -0500

'Los Agave Jardin' is a landscape installation located at the intersection of Grape Street + State Street in Little Italy in downtown San Diego. A parcel of land that neither the City of San Diego nor Cal Trans accepted responsibility for, it was adopted by the adjacent landowner for use as a demonstration installation for a sustainable landscape. Given the fact that San Diego is located in a desert climate and that local and imported water supplies are being rapidly depleted, this installation is a non-irrigated small scale planting of Agave weberii 'tequiliana' - Tequila Agave, with an understory of coral colored decomposed granite (d.g.).

The d.g. was color matched to replicate the soils of the tequila fields in the State of Jalisco, and the installation is intended as a connection to Mexico (the installation is at the entry to the Interstate 5 southbound on ramp leading to Tijuana), as a garden that never gets a drop of supplemental water other than rainfall (the plants were watered once when planted end of 2006) and as a indication of the Adoptees love of Tequila. Primarily, the installation is to show and display that a landscape can be designed and implemented without the need for water, fertilizer and maintenance, other than pulling weeds. The cost of this installation was approximately $1000.00 for materials and labor. The weed pulling is when I get around to it.

Good Earth Plants Green Roof

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:18:06 -0500

One of the first of its kind in San Diego, Good Earth Living Architecture installed a 1600 sq ft “extensive” green roof on their existing one story, wood framed building originally completed in 1960. Intended as both a demonstration and research garden, several dozen varieties of plants are surviving and thriving in only 4” of custom blended growth media, utilizing (2) low-use irrigation systems. A pioneering endeavor, the green roof team has had to overcome many obstacles including little existing information on a vegetated rooftop in an arid climate, developing and securing a successful growing media, nay Sayers and the permit process.

The green roof has saved the company 23.5% in their energy bills from one year to the next, holds onto 70% of a storm event and then slowly filters the excess and has provided noise reduction from low flying planes taking off from nearby Montgomery field. An oasis in Kearny Mesa’s industrial zone, the roof top attracts birds, bees, butterflies and other insects as well as cooling down the roof, which would otherwise contribute to the Urban Heat Island Effect. Passersby do a double take when the green roof is being tended to and the plants on the roof’s outer edge are clearly visible from the street.

San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center

Patrick McDonough — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:04:20 -0500

The County of San Diego is nearing completion of a new Nature Center at the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve and Regional Park. Located in Encinitas the facility utilizes a multitude of innovative LEED features and incorporates state-of-the art, interactive exhibits that showcase the local ecology and the environmental benefits of the LEED program.

The San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center’s goal is to increase awareness and education of the preserve and the environment. In support of this effort the building was designed to meet the Gold Certification requirements of the LEED program. The building incorporates green building elements including radiant floor heating, green planted roof, recycled cotton insulation, certified renewable lumber, photovoltaics that will provide 52% of energy requirements, natural daylighting and ventilation, stormwater filtering, native vegetation and recycled water used for both irrigation and to supply the toilets.

Perhaps more importantly, the facility will not only use a high standard of sustainable design and building materials, but will also be used as a venue to educate the public on the advantages of sustainable design. The goal for the San Elijo Visitor Center is to utilize the gold certification to educate the public on environmentally friendly building design and present a “practice what we preach” public facility, demonstrating conservation of natural resources, use of recycled and environmentally friendly construction materials and reduced pollution and water use. Interpretive signage and exhibits related to sustainability incorporate view panels in the floors, walls and ceilings that provide visitors “windows” into the internal special features of the construction, normally hidden from the naked eye. The facility will serve to promote future sustainable design in the San Diego region. Project team includes County of San Diego, Zagrodnik + Thomas, Riha Construction, PinnacleOne, Solterra and GLUMAC

San Ysidro DMV offices

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:27:53 -0500

Unseen photovoltaic panels line the top of the dramatically pitched roof and provide electricity for the building when it’s open. Surplus energy from solar panels is sent back to San Diego Gas & Electric when the office is closed on weekends. Motion detectors and photocell sensors turn lights on and off automatically, saving electricity.

Natural daylighting, energy efficient fluorescent and high pressure sodium lights, and exterior views from 90 percent of the work stations promote a healthy and pleasant indoor environment. The single-story building provides 14,700 square feet of interior, with both indoor and outdoor spaces for employees and customers. It is only the third building in San Diego to achieve LEED Gold certification.