USGBC-NCC Silicon Valley Visits NASA Sustainability Base

Contributed by Ron Fong, P.E., LEED A.P.

USGBC-NCC's Silicon Valley Branch recently got the insider view of the LEED Platinum NASA Sustainability Base at the Ames Research Center in Mountain View. The N232 building has been deemed the greenest Federal building in the world, and recently opened as a 50,000 square foot, two-story office building designed to not only house staff, but also demonstrate and test the application of NASA space science to earth-based problems and test new marketplace energy efficiency technologies.

NASA Sustainability base has architectural features reminiscent of NASA Space Heritage. These are faux solar panels like those used at Tranquility Base on the moon.  The building is curved in an arc like a crescent moon.

“In space, all systems are closed-loop and self-sustaining. Why can’t they be on earth too?” asked Dr. Steve Zornetzer, Associate Center Director for NASA Ames.

Operable Windows take advantage of the area winds; exterior structural framing addresses our earthquake country; and shading (exterior and interior automated) were all integrated to make for an interesting building by architects William McDonough  and AECOM

The numbers of superlatives showcasing success are notable.

* 57 points - LEED Platinum v2.2
* 42.1% - Reduced indoor water use
* 90.85% - Diverted construction waste of 313.47 tons
* 100% of occupied spaces have daylight views
* Zero credits missed on SS (site selection), IEQ (indoor environmental quality), WE (water efficiency)
* 10 points on energy efficiency, which is the highest score possible. The site generates more energy than the facility uses with their Bloom energy box and solar panels
* 1.5 continuing education GBCI units for LEED credential maintenance received by attendees of the tour

Other cutting edge features include a 2nd generation Bloom Fuel Cell, chilled panels for radiant cooling, radiators for heating off the hydronics ground coil system, and a predicative detailed intuitive building network designed to anticipate and react to changes in sunlight, temperature and occupancy in real time automatically. The building has been oriented and designed to take advantage of our climate and winds, and has operable windows.

Intelligent Building Monitoring.  Photo by Ron Fong

This video explains it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQxvl3vrnm4

Special kudos go to the volunteer tour guides - Scott Poll, Rose Grymes and Krisstina Wilmoth of NASA and AECOM's Rich Rose who gave informative tours. Thank you to our presenters Jack Carter of Swinerton about the construction challenges and secrets in achieving LEED Platinum and to Dr. Steve Zornester about the vision of what is and will be the NASA Sustainability Base.

Photos of this sold out event can be seen at USGBC-NCC Silicon Valley / NASA Event - June 12, 2012

USGBC crowd at the NASA Sustainability Base

For more information about the project: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/sustainability-base

For more information about volunteering or being involved with the Silicon Valley Branch, contact Branch Co-Chair: Monica Funston Treadway, Hathaway Dinwiddie, or Branch Co-Chair: Mike Foster, City of San Jose. We have an upcoming picnic as well as "Finding $$ in the Trash" on July 10.