2. BRIEF INTRODUCTION :
■ SAN FRANCISCO FEDERAL BUILDING IS A HIGH-PERFORMANCE, GREEN BUILDING DESIGNED BY
TOM MAYNE,MORPHOSIS FOR THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (GSA).
■ THE BUILDING HOUSES VARIOUS FEDERAL OFFICES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
■ THE BUILDING PROGRAM INCLUDES 18-STORY OFFICE TOWER, 3-STORY ELEVATOR
ATRIUM LOBBIES, PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE CONFERENCE, COMMUNITY CENTER, AND DAY CARE,
FITNESS CENTER, OUTDOOR SKY PLAZA, AND CAFÉ.
■ GREEN FEATURES OF THE BUILDING INCLUDE SUNSCREENS, SENSOR CONTROLLED NATURAL
DAYLIGHTING,NATURAL VENTILATION,
INDIVIDUALLY CONTROLLED SHADING DEVICES,
FLEXIBLE FLOOR PLANS, UNDERGROUND
PARKING, ENERGY-EFFICIENT ELEVATORS,
LOW- AND NON-TOXIC BUILDING MATERIALS,
WOOD CEILINGS, AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS.
■ ACCORDING TO THE GSA,THESE FEATURES
ACCOUNT FOR 33 PERCENT REDUCTION IN
ENERGY USE, 50 PERCENT BLOCKAGE IN SOLAR
RADIATION, AND 7 PERCENT SAVING IN PROJECT
COST.
3. GREEN MATERIALS :
■ THE BUILDING MINIMIZES POLLUTION BY REPLACING HIGH
PROPORTIONS OF PORTLAND CEMENT IN ITS CONCRETE
FOUNDATIONS AND FRAME. DURING THE MANUFACTURING
PROCESS, PORTLAND CEMENT IS ASSOCIATED WITH VERY HIGH
LEVELS OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
■ IN THE FEDERAL BUILDING’S CONCRETE MIXTURE, 50% OF THE
POLLUTION-INTENSIVE PORTLAND CEMENT IS REPLACED WITH BLAST
FURNACE SLAG, A RECYCLED WASTE PRODUCT FROM THE STEEL
INDUSTRY, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
RESULTING FROM CONVENTIONAL CONCRETE. FRITTED GLASS PANELS
■ THIS ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND CHOICE ALSO RESULTS IN HIGHER-
STRENGTH CONCRETE AND HAS A WARM, LIGHT-COLORED TONE THAT
CONTRIBUTES TO THE FAVORABLE DAYLIGHT PENETRATION WITHIN THE
OFFICE SPACE.
■ THROUGHOUT THE DAY THE THERMAL MASS OF THE EXPOSED
CONCRETE COLUMNS, SHEAR WALLS AND WAVE-FORM CEILINGS HELP
COOL THE OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDING.
■ THE OUTER PERIMETER OF THE TOWER IS CONFIGURED WITH OPEN
OFFICES AND 52-INCH-HIGH WORKSTATION PARTITIONS, MAXIMIZING
ACCESS TO NATURAL LIGHT.
■ FRITTED GLASS PANELS THAT ENCLOSE MEETING ROOMS AND OFFICES
LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE “SPINE” OF THE TOWER, PROVIDE BOTH
COLUMN DETAIL PRIVACY AND ACCESS TO NATURAL LIGHT.
4. GREEN MATERIALS :
■ FLOOR TO CEILING GLASS: 13 FT OVERALL CEILING HEIGHT IN THE OFFICE FLOORS ALLOWS LIGHT
TO PENETRATE DEEP INTO WORK AREAS, AND THE OCCUPANTS TO USE THE NATURAL DAYLIGHT.
■ A MIX OF WHITE CEMENT USED IN EXPOSED AREAS (SUCH AS WALL AND CEILINGS) MAKES THE
UTILIZATION OF NATURAL LIGHT MORE EFFECTIVE AND REDUCES THE ENERGY USE.
■ ONLY LOW- OR ZERO-TOXICITY BUILDING MATERIALS
(I.E. CARPET, PAINT, FURNITURE) WERE USED.
■ DURING CONSTRUCTION, ONLY 10 PERCENT OF
THE MATERIALS END UP IN LANDFILL, AND 87
PERCENT OF THE MATERIALS USED ARE RECYCLABLE.
■ SPECIAL DRY-POLISH CONCRETE SYSTEM,CALLED
THE NATURAL WONDER FLOOR SYSTEM,IS USED AS
THE FLOOR COVERING MATERIAL, WHICH IS MORE
DURABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE THAN TRADITIONAL DRY-POLISH CONCRETE
MATERIALS.
■ WOOD CEILINGS: LOW-EMISSION RATE; CONTAINS
RECYCLED MATERIALS; WOOD COMES FROM A
“WELL-MANAGED” FOREST; FSC CERTIFIED.
■ PERMEABLE, DECOMPOSED GRANITE: PLAZA IS
PAVED WITH A PERMEABLE, DECOMPOSED GRANITE
SURFACE THAT ALLOWS RAINWATER TO PERCOLATE
BACK INTO THE GROUND. DECOMPOSED GRANITE
5. GREEN TECHNOLOGIES :
■ A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM, KNOWN AS THE BUILDING AUTOMATED
SYSTEM (BAS), CONTROLS AND MONITORS ALL OF THE BUILDING’S
MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT INCLUDING THOSE DEVICES THAT ARE USED TO
MAINTAIN INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHTING
LEVELS.
■ THE FIRST FIVE LEVELS, WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF PEOPLE AND
EQUIPMENT, ARE FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED. ABOVE THE FIFTH FLOOR, THE
WINDOWS AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST, ALLOWING FRESH AIR DIRECTLY INTO
THE BUILDING FOR NATURAL VENTILATION AND FREE COOLING.
■ THE WINDOW SYSTEM CREATES A “LIVING SKIN” THAT ALLOWS THE
BUILDING TO BREATHE. BREEZES PASS THROUGH OPENINGS ON THE
WINDWARD SIDE AND ARE VENTED OUT THROUGH THE LEEWARD WALL,
WITH CONTROL BASED ON WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.
■ SENSORS: SERIES OF SENSORS ARE EMBEDDED IN THE
BUILDING TO AUTOMATE TEMPERATURE AND LIGHT
ADJUSTMENTS.
■ TEMPERATURE SENSORS ON THE FACADE OPEN THE
VENTILATION WINDOWS AT NIGHT AND LET THEOUTSIDE
AIR GET INTO THE BUILDING.
■ VERTICAL GLASS LOUVERS: DESIGNED TO BLOCK OUT LOW
SUN ANGLES, AND TO PROTECT OCCUPANTS FROM LATE
AFTERNOON SUMMER SUN.
VERTICAL GLASS LOUVERS
6. GREEN TECHNOLOGIES :
■ PERFORATED STAINLESS-STEEL PANELS: THIS IS A MULTIPURPOSE
PANEL TECHNOLOGY, WHICH SERVES AS A SUNSCREEN AND NATURAL
VENTILATION SYSTEM.
■ AS A SUNSCREEN, THE PANELS SHADE THE BUILDING FROM LOW
WINTER SUN AND CUT DAYLIGHT TO A COMFORTABLE LEVEL FOR THE
WORKERS.
■ AS A VENTILATION SYSTEM, THE PANELS CREATE A PASSIVE HEAT
PUMP, WHICH ADJUSTS THE HEATING/COOLING LOAD OF THE
BUILDING. WHEN AIR WARMS UP AND HEAT THE BUILDING, THE
PANELS FLOAT UPWARD AND LET COOLER AIR THROUGH THE BUILDING
DRAW THE HOT AIR OUT OF THE BUILDING BY SWITCHING THE
SENSORS ON AND AUTOMATICALLY OPENING THE WINDOWS.
■ ELEVATORS TOP ON EVERY THIRD FLOOR: FORCES
ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF TENANTS TO WALK UP OR
DOWN A FLOOR TO GET TO THEIR DESTINATION;
THIS PROMOTES EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH AND
INTERACTION BETWEEN THEM. SINCE THERE ARE
FEWER STOPS, SERVICE IS FASTER AND CONSUMES LESS
ENERGY THAN A TRADITIONAL ELEVATOR.
■ ACOUSTICAL WALL TECHNOLOGIES ARE USED TO
ABSORB THE SOUNDS OF CONVERSATION AND
BACKGROUND NOISE.
PERFORATED STAINLESS-STEEL PANELS
7. GREEN TECHNOLOGIES :
■ LIGHT SENSORS DETECT LIGHT AND OCCUPANCY LEVELS,
ADJUST THE LIGHTS ACCORDINGLY. FOR EXAMPLE, THE
LIGHTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY TURNED OFF WHEN THE WORK
AREA IS UNOCCUPIED.
■ PASSIVE DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES: THE NARROW SHAPE,THE
ORIENTATION OF THE BUILDING, AND THE DESIGN OF THE
WORKSPACES CLOSE TO THE WINDOWS ALLOW THE
BUILDING TO ABSORB MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF DAYLIGHT,
AND TO UTILIZE THE NATURAL VENTILATION THROUGHOUT
THE BUILDING. AS A RESULT, 80 % OF THE WORKSPACE IS INTERIOR DAY LIGHTING
ILLUMINATED WITH NATURAL LIGHT,AND THE TOP 13
FLOORS OF THE BUILDING DO NOT HAVE AIR-CONDITIONING.
■ THE BUILDING'S LIGHTING STRATEGIES IMPROVE THE
WORKPLACE AND ARE A CRITICAL FACET OF THIS PROJECT'S
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN. APPROXIMATELY 85 PERCENT OF THE
WORKSPACE IS ILLUMINATED WITH NATURAL LIGHT.
■ UNDERGROUND PARKING: ELIMINATES THE WASTE
OF UNUSED SPACE, REDUCES THE HEAT SURROUNDING
THE BUILDING AND THE CITY.
■ DUAL FLUSH TOILETS AND DRIP IRRIGATION: REDUCE
DRINKABLE WATER CONSUMPTION BY OVER 30 PERCENT. SHADE STRUCTURE
■ A SERIES OF FIXED TRANSLUCENT SUNSHADES ARE
ATTACHED TO AN EXTERIOR CATWALK, BREAKING THE SUN’S PATH TO SHADE THE GLASS.
8. CONCLUSION :
■ THE SAN FRANCISCO FEDERAL BUILDING IS A REFLECTION OF THE GSA'S COMMITMENT TO
DESIGN EXCELLENCE AND SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE, INCORPORATING STATE-OF-THE ART
TECHNOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE DRIVEN INNOVATION.
■ THE BUILDING WON THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL ZUMTOBEL GROUP AWARD FOR SUSTAINABILITY
AND HUMANITY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
REFERENCES:
■ GREEN ARCHITECTURE BY OSMAN ATTMANN
■ WWW.ARCSPACE.COM
■ WWW.ARTONFILE.COM
