Mechanical Engineer
Rumsey Engineers, Inc.
Electrical & Lighting Designer
Engineering Enterprise
Lighting Designer
JS Nolan & Associates
Daylighting Consultant
Loisos + Ubbelohde
Photography
Peter Aaron
Subscribe
Global Ecology Research Center
This research facility at Stanford University houses 45 researchers and staff in roughly 25,000 square feet. Its functions include laboratory, office, workshop, greenhouse, and storage space. The project team set an overall goal of 50 percent lower energy use than Title 24 while maintaining a very modest construction budget and meeting the strictest standards for safe air management in the lab and excellent indoor air quality in the offices. In addition, strategies such as natural daylighting and radiant heating/cooling assure optimum occupant thermal, and acoustic and visual comfort.
Among its innovations is a tower assisted by a windcatcher top that evaporatively creates a cool breeze in the lobby area. The facility also features a combination of radiation and evaporative cooling that produces chilled water via a rooftop mounted spray system that operates at night. The project exceeds normal Title 24 calculations by 24.9 percent, but when combined with its additional energy-saving features, this margin rises to 47 percent.
The jurors were impressed by the building’s inventive use of integrating building form with passive ventilation and lighting. They also praised its use of natural materials and natural light and its refined details. Calling the mechanical system “gutsy,” from the windcatcher to the nighttime spray on the roof, the jurors felt that it could function as a learning environment for designing other mechanical systems.
“This is an extraordinarily humane, collaborative work environment,” the jurors remarked. “It captures the best sense of sustainable design: that it is not an ‘either/or’ between environmental and humanity, it’s a ‘both’ by inventing new design strategies. When we harness creativity, we can do all of the above.”
- Exceeds normal Title 24 calculations by 24.9 percent.
Notable Accomplishments
Jurors
Nancy Clanton, PE, LC, IALD
Title: President
Company: Clanton & Associates
Location: Boulder, CO
Nancy Clanton is founder and president of Clanton & Associates, a lighting design firm specializing in sustainable design. Nancy speaks throughout the nation on topics relating to sustainable and energy-efficient design and light pollution and has been an instructor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. She is past chairperson of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Outdoor Environmental Lighting Committee and a past director of the International Association of Lighting Designers, and is currently on the board of the International Dark Sky Association. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Committee of Environmental Building News, is a member of the Professional Advisory Board for the Engineering Department at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and is a member of the United States Green Building Council.
She was group leader for the “Greening of the White House” initiative and received the 1999 “Contribution to the Built Environment Award” from the Colorado North Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Katherine Diamond, FAIA
Title: Design Principal
Company: RNL Design
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Katherine (Kate) Diamond, FAIA is the Design Principal for RNL’s Los Angeles office. Prior to joining RNL, Kate built a strong design reputation as principal and lead designer of her own practice, Siegel Diamond Architecture. Kate brings a lifetime of personal commitment to sustainable design of design excellence to build RNL’s leadership in energy efficient design dating back to the 70s energy crisis.
Kate continues to design multiple LEED-rated projects. In addition to her architectural experience, Kate has played a role in developing sustainable design guidelines for the cities of Santa Monica and San Gabriel and in organizing a variety of urban design charettes that focused on the integration of green principles.
Robert Noble, AIA
Title: CEO, Design Principal
Company: Tucker Sadler Group
Location: San Diego, CA
Robert Noble, AIA, is CEO and Design Principal of Tucker Sadler, a 40-member, 50-year-old diversified design practice based in San Diego, with offices in Arkansas and projects nationwide. Robert has been an architect, industrial designer, and technology entrepreneur for 25 years and has been responsible for a number of environmentally advanced building and material technologies, and sustainable design projects. He and his work have been published internationally and have been the recipient of prestigious design and environmental awards including: The Edison Award for Environmental Achievement, “E-Town” Environmental Achievement Award (awarded on National Public Radio); California Integrated Waste Management Award and Popular Science “100 Best New Technologies” (1993).
He is LEED accredited, is past Chair and one of the founding board members of the US Green Building Council of San Diego and is currently president-elect of the San Diego Chapter of the AIA.
Award Credit
Mechanical Engineer
Rumsey Engineers, Inc.
Electrical & Lighting Designer
Engineering Enterprise
Lighting Designer
JS Nolan & Associates
Daylighting Consultant
Loisos + Ubbelohde
Photography
Peter Aaron
Image Gallery
Saving by Design
© 2000-2012 Savings By Design. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
This program is funded by California utility ratepayers and administered by Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Southern California Edison Company, and Southern California Gas Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. The municipal portion of this program is funded and administered by Sacramento Municipal Utility District.