3 of 10 COTE AIA "Green Building" award winners are in California

source: Kira Gould, Assoc. AIA 2002.4.22
In recognition of Earth Day, The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Committee on the Environment (COTE) selected its annual Top Ten "Green"
Projects, 10 examples of architectural design solutions that protect and
enhance the environment. This year's winners included projects designed for
the federal government, large and small businesses, nonprofit organizations,
and individuals—proving the environmental, social, and economic benefits of
sustainable design for clients of any size.

The jury that selected the winning projects includes Randy Croxton, FAIA,
Croxton Collaborative; Sim van der Ryn, Van der Ryn Architects; Horst Berger, City
University of New York; and Guy Battle, Battle McCarthy.
On April 29 at 6:00 p.m., COTE chair Joyce Lee, AIA, will host a panel at the
National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., to discuss the key environmental and design strategies of
the winning projects.

The program, begun in 1998, recognizes projects that address significant
environmental challenges with designs that integrate architecture, technology,
and natural systems. Projects are evaluated for their contributions to their
sites and existing ecosystems, connections to the surrounding community,
use of high-performance technologies, energy use, and sensitive use of
materials and resources.

This award and the range of submissions it fields are representative of the
growing market transformation under way in this country and around the
world. Corporations and other organizations are becoming increasingly aware
of the benefits of sustainable design—to people, the environment, and to the
bottom line. Financial benefits are realized through energy and
cost-of-operations savings as well as reduced absenteeism and greater
productivity in some settings.

Sustainable design is increasingly acknowledged—by architects, their
consultants, their clients, and the public—as an important characteristic of
quality architecture. In the four years since the Top Ten Green Projects
awards program was started, numerous projects have been realized as
American firms ascended a learning curve. Winning projects in this year's
groups come from firms that are well known for their leadership in
sustainable design, as well as several just beginning to utilize sustainable
principles in their approach to projects.

The AIA Committee on the Environment represents more than 5,000 AIA
architects committed to making sustainable design integral to the practice of
architecture. The Top Ten "Green" Projects initiative was developed in
partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy. Selected projects include
new construction and renovation of office, residential, academic, civic, and
institutional facilities.

The 3 winning entries from California selected for the 2002 AIA Top Ten Green Projects are:

Building 850, Energy & Sustainability Showcase Project
Port Hueneme, Calif.- CTG Energetics

Contact: Malcolm Lewis, PE, mlewis@ctg-net.com, 949.790.0010

The project is home to the Naval Base Ventura County Public Works Department
and consists of 10,000 square feet of renovated space and 7,000 square feet
of new construction. Concepts and systems that have been incorporated into
the design include: daylighting, shading, and innovative glazing elements;
maximum use of natural ventilation; photovoltaicpower generation;
solar space and domestic water heating systems; lighting
with continuously dimming electronic ballasts and occupancy and photo
sensor controls; real-time energy monitoring; HVAC systems demonstrating
several new technologies including prototype natural-gas heat-pump air
conditioning, variable air volume under-floor air distribution, and
high-efficiency pulse boilers; gray water system for capture and reuse of rain
water and lavatory discharge; self-sustaining landscaping and water
conserving irrigation system; indoor air quality monitoring; and extensive use
of recycled building materials. Project designers used physical and
computerized modeling to optimize the interaction of daylighting with building
envelope, interiors, and systems.

Camp Arroyo - Livermore, Calif.- Siegel & Strain Architects

Contact: Henry Siegel, hsiegel@siegelstrain.com, 510.457.8092

This environmental education camp, which serves middle-school as well as
critically ill children and other guests, was designed to demonstrate a series of
ecological design principles as part of the curriculum. Bathhouses are made of
stabilized earth, the cabins are efficient wood structures, and the dining hall is a
straw-bale building. Low-tech solutions to heating, cooling, and water
treatment were favored over more complex mechanical technologies for
energy efficiency, lower cost, and simplicity. The bathhouses are open-air,
seasonal structures with natural ventilation and no mechanical system. The
cabins and dining hall depend on shading strategies and operable clerestory
windows to keep them cool. The cabins have south-facing sunrooms for
winter heat gain and solar panels for water heating and backup radiant heat.
The biological wastewater treatment system will treat water with minimal
energy input, demonstrating that there is no waste in nature.

Pier 1 - San Francisco - SMWM

Contact: Dan Cheetham, AIA, kkowalski@smwm.com, 415.546.0400

This adaptive reuse project transformed a dilapidated warehouse on San
Francisco's waterfront to 140,000 square feet of class A office space and an acre of
new public open space. The design reflects the history and nature of the site, uses
green materials garnered from green sources, and provides clean air and natural
light for occupants. Pier 1 is surrounded by water, which flows through
radiant tubes in floor slabs for heating and cooling. This system moderates the
interior climate according to each zone's location and orientation.
Generated heat is rejected into a submerged condenser water loop under the
building, dissipating energy into the bay within a tightly prescribed temperature range.

the other 7 winners