Annotated slide show with exterior and interior images of the green headquarters of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation located at 343 Second St., Los Altos, California. The building was designed with a NetZero energy goal of producing at least as much power as it consumes each year. Its technological and structural features come together with a beautiful, functional design to create a workspace that is good for the planet and for the Foundation's employees. Through its energy-, water- and resource-conserving characteristics, the building has been awarded LEED® Platinum (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

1. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
343 Second Street Building, Los Altos, California

2. The Packard Foundation has a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability. Our headquarters
building is the physical manifestation of our efforts to “walk the talk” and live the values of sustainability
right here at home. The building has achieved Net Zero Energy BuildingTM and LEED® Platinum (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications.
Photo © 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

3. There are many personal touches throughout the building
The reception desk was
crafted by a Packard family
member from a single piece
of wood from a 600 year-
old fallen Redwood tree at
the family’s Big Sur Ranch.
The painting behind the
reception desk resembles the
area around the Packard
family’s San Felipe Ranch.
Workstation partitions were
designed from photos taken
at San Felipe Ranch.
Photo © 2012, Terry Lorant

4. The 49,000 square foot building generates more than enough
electricity through solar panels to meet its annual energy
needs, earning it Net Zero Energy Building certification.
Photo © 2012, Terry Lorant

5. Heating
16%
Cooling
17%
Ventilation
12%
Lighting
32%
Hot Water, 2%
Plug Loads
16%
Misc.
5%
• Produced 418 MWh of our
own energy through solar
panels
• Consumed 351 MWh of
electricity thereby reducing
our energy use by about 55%
• Reduced lighting by 30%
• Reduced HVAC, including
75% savings in fan energy
• Reduce plug loads by 30%
Typical California office building this size
uses 725 MWh of energy per year
To reach NetZero Energy in
our first year of occupancy, we:

6. The building design, consisting of two long narrow wings surrounding a center
courtyard, reduces energy consumption by maximizing the use of daylight. This
allows for 30% reduction in the amount of energy consumed by artificial lighting.

7. The building was designed to maximize the use of natural daylight. Automated
systems throughout the building measure free, natural light and then automatically
dim or brighten artificial light as needed. Light shelves project natural light farther
into the space and reflect it off the ceiling to diffuse daylight throughout the space.
Photo © 2012, Terry Lorant

8. Each wing of the building has a distinct theme
Glass etchings of oaks, a burgundy color
scheme and woodland-themed adjacent
courtyard landscaping characterize the
Woodlands Wing.
The Grasslands Wing is decorated with
etchings of grasses and orange accents and
connects with a courtyard landscaped with
native grasses.
Photos © 2012, Terry Lorant

9. This meeting space connects
different “neighborhoods” of offices
and facilitates community building
among employees.
It was designed to bring the
outdoors in, a concept David
Packard loved. The floor is made of
finished, recycled end-cut wood.
“Connector” spaces facilitate community-building
and bring the outdoors in
Photo © 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

10. Occupant sensors in each
workspace automatically
turn off lights and put
computers and monitors to
sleep when the space is not
occupied.
Energy-efficient LED
task lighting is
provided at each desk.
Energy-efficient T-8
fluorescent bulbs are used
throughout the building.
Energy-Saving Features Throughout the Building

11. Triple-element windows help insulate the building. The windows
are made of two panes of glass with one film in between and are
filled with 1.5 inches of argon gas, giving them an R-7 insulation
value, much greater than a typical window. Insulation value for the
floors and walls is R-19 and for the roof is R-33.

12. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
In cold weather, the building is
warmed to a target temperature of
74 F starting three hours before
employees arrive at work.
Once the work day begins, the
heating system then typically turns
off because it is no longer needed.
The building is heated by a
combination of air handlers and, in
certain areas, by heated water in
the (chilled) beams.

13. Chilled Beam Air Conditioning
In warm weather, water is chilled at
night by a compressor-free cooling
tower and stored in two 25,000-
gallon underground tanks.
During the day, water is pumped
into the pipes that run through the
beams.
Three major air handling units pull
in 100% outside air, then filter and
dehumidify it. Air flowing across
the beams is sufficient to cool the
interior spaces.

14. Chilled Beam Air Conditioning
The chilled water is moved
through the system using variable
speed pumps and pipes angled at
130 degrees, rather than typical
90-degree angles.
This is much more efficient than
standard practices, allowing for a
75% reduction in duct work and a
75% reduction in pump energy.
Photo © 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

15. When possible, we reduce energy
consumption by operating in natural
ventilation mode, with windows and
doors open, instead of depending on
HVAC systems.
Photo © 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

16. Dashboards and desktop alerts display weather conditions and
indicate when it is okay to open doors and windows.
Desktop Alert
Wall-Mounted Dashboard

17. The 292W grid-connected array of 915 photovoltaic solar panels was designed to produce 275 MWh
per year of electricity. In its first year of operation ending in July 2013, it produced 418 MWh, more
than enough to cover our first year’s electricity consumption.
Photo © 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

18. Nearly 15,000
monitoring and control
points are part of the
building automation
system. Our building
engineer can diagnose
problems and monitor
and control everything
from interior and
exterior blinds, to plug
loads, lighting, the
heating and ventilation
system and electric
vehicle charging stations.
Photo © 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

19. To achieve LEED® Platinum certification, we had to consider not only energy-efficiency but
also waste, materials used, and water efficiency, among other factors. Our LEED application
was awarded 94 points out of a possible 110, exceeding the 80 required for Platinum status.
Photo © 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

20. We deconstructed 95% of the existing building for recycling and re-use. A majority of the materials
used in construction were sourced from within a 500 mile radius. A mix of slate and quartz stone,
used throughout the building, was sourced from Mount Moriah on the border of Nevada and Utah.
The Red Cedar exterior wood paneling is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified from Oregon.

21. • Overhangs are
constructed of FSC
(Forest Stewardship
Council) certified
Douglas Fir.
• Copper cladding on
exterior and interior
walls is architectural
copper, which is made
from 75% recycled
materials.
© 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

22. All the doors throughout the
building were created from
Eucalyptus wood salvaged
from the Doyle Drive
construction project in the
San Francisco Presidio. The
trees were already going to
be cut down and this
provided the Foundation the
opportunity to put these
resources to good use.

23. 90% of the plantings in the courtyard and around the
building are California natives. Irrigation, fed by on-site
water collection, is primarily sub-surface or surface drip
managed by an ET-based (evapotranspiration) controller.
© 2012, Terry Lorant

24. The deciduous London Plane trees in the courtyard are not native but were selected for
their height, shape and summer shading capabilities. Because they will not grow much
taller, they will not interfere with the rooftop solar power production.
Photo © 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

25. The 25 year-old Live Oak tree at the building’s entrance was grown from an
acorn in Clear Lake.

26. • Street-side rain garden landscaping
helps improve San Francisco Bay
water quality by reducing street
runoff into the storm drains.
• Rain gardens (planted depressions)
can withstand extreme moisture and
nutrient loading. They allow for runoff
to be filtered by sediments and cooled
before draining.
• One of Lucile Packard’s
favorite flowers, the
Western Columbine, is
planted throughout.

27. The Foundation expects to decrease its water usage by 40%, in part through using rain
water captured from roof gutters and stored in two 10,000-gallon underground tanks. This
“grey” water will be purified and sterilized before using for irrigation and toilet flushing.

28. The living roof is planted with a variety of shallow-rooting, low-growing succulents to
simulate the look of the bluffs on the California coast. This is aesthetically pleasing and a
habitat for birds and other native wildlife. In addition, it provides a heat sink to help keep
the building cool in hot weather and helps with rain water collection.
Photo © 2012, Jeremy Bittermann, Courtesy of EHDD

29. For more information about our headquarters at 343 Second Street in Los
Altos, California, please visit our website
www.packard.org
There you will find:
• Materials, Plant and Vendor Lists
• A case study, “Sustainability in Practice,” about building and running the
building
• Virtual video tour
• 2-year time lapse video of the construction process
• And more
In the interest of making our building as replicable as possible, we are happy
to share additional details. Please contact us at
communications@packard.org.