Berkeley, Calif.’s new West Branch Library was recently certified as a Net Zero Energy (NZE) Building under the Living Building Challenge certification program (v3.0) of the International Living Future Institute. The certification makes the library the first ZNE public library in California.
Designed by Harley Ellis Devereaux, with Tipping Mar as structural engineer and West Bay Builders as general contractor, the 9,400-sf facility uses mixed-mode natural ventilation, radiant floor heating and cooling, rooftop solar, and extensive daylighting (90% of spaces) to generate more energy than it uses annually (-7,144 kWh).
The West Branch Library also features:
- Dense urban site
- FSC Certified wood – 97%
- On site renewable energy
- On site stormwater treatment
Other Building Team members: GreenWorks Studio (sustainability consultant), Moran Engineering (civil engineer), John Northmore Roberts and Associates (landscape architect), and Cumming Corp. (cost estimator).
Related Stories
| Sep 3, 2014
New designation launched to streamline LEED review process
The LEED Proven Provider designation is designed to minimize the need for additional work during the project review process.
| Sep 2, 2014
Ranked: Top green building sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
AECOM, Gensler, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Aug 29, 2014
The new College Football Hall of Fame opens in Atlanta
Adjacent to the Georgia World Congress Center and Centennial Olympic Park, the three-story, 94,250-sf attraction is designed to celebrate the traditions of college football.
| Aug 29, 2014
Phifer and Partners to design 'transparent' Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
The design includes a stage that opens onto the city's Parade Square, so anyone passing by will be able to see performances.
| Aug 25, 2014
Ranked: Top cultural facility sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Arup, Gensler, and Turner head BD+C's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from cultural facility projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 25, 2014
Photographer creates time-lapse video of 1 WTC using 30,000 photos
Choosing from 30,000 photos he took from the day construction began in 2006 to the day when construction was finished in 2012, Brooklyn-based photographer Benjamin Rosamund compressed 1,100 photos to create the two-minute video.
| Aug 14, 2014
Museum of Mayan Culture draws inspiration from temple design [slideshow]
The Museo Maya de América in Guatemala City will be the world’s largest museum of Mayan history and culture, at 60,000 sf.
| Aug 12, 2014
Design firms invited to submit qualifications for St. Petersburg, Fla., waterfront project
The city of St. Petersburg, Fla., invites firms to submit their ideas for a new and improved pier for Florida's fifth largest city.
| Aug 5, 2014
Shigeru Ban-designed Aspen Art Museum will open doors to public this week
After 18 month of planning and construction, the museum will open its new Shigeru Ban-designed facility to the public on August 9.
| Aug 4, 2014
Jean Nouvel commissioned to design Islam Museum next to WTC
El-Gamal's plans has been dubbed controversial by many industry professionals.
