An early adopter of zero net energy (ZNE) buildings, DPR Construction completed last year its third ZNE-designed office space, a major renovation project in San Francisco. Other ZNE offices in San Diego and Phoenix paved the way for this new building, which is set to be the first ZNE office space in the city. Located at 924 Front Street, the 24,000-square-foot office will have to demonstrate one year of ZNE energy performance before it is eligible for certification through the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), which DPR is pursuing.
“We continue to see both our client base and work force expand in the Bay Area and to accommodate that growth, we sought a larger work space that would also allow us to renovate and incorporate cost-saving and environmentally-friendly features,” said Mike Humphrey, Regional Manager at DPR Construction. “We intend for our San Francisco office . . . to serve as a ‘living lab’ to test the newest and most intelligent energy efficient products on the market for others to see first hand,” Humphrey said.
The design team included San Francisco-based FME Architecture + Design and Oakland-based Integral Group among others. Key features include:
- Targeting LEED NC v4 Platinum Certification
- 118kw photovoltaic (PV) system to produce renewable energy and provide power throughout the office, reducing the cost of electricity
- Complete structural renovation and roof replacement to support the PV system
- Rooftop solar thermal water heating system
- 19 Solatube750 DS Daylighting System
- Eight Velux solar-powered, automated operable skylights over the atrium
- Nine eight-foot Essence and four Haiku® Big Ass® Fans that efficiently promote air flow