LEED Platinum target was set by the Stevens and Associates Architects and KMD Architects to design the headquarters of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission as a green office building with machines to recycle wastewater, wind turbines and solar panels.
SFPUC Headquarters
Seismic engineering was done by Tipping Mar, an engineering firm, and this had helped in reducing the costs by $30 million but at present its sustainability is not known.
The original design of the SFPUC building was financially unfeasible with U.S. economy being down, hence Tipping Mar was given a challenge by Webcor Builders in 2008 to design and deliver occupancy level immediately. The level of immediate occupancy is required so that even if there is a large earthquake, it should operate immediately.
Vertically post-tensioned concrete cores and self-centering walls were innovated and developed to help the building to perform its duties after an earthquake. This building has various design solutions like decreasing the project’s carbon footprint, adding another storey by lessening the floor to ceiling height, slag and fly ash were used as green alternatives to cement. These solutions helped in lowering the building cost both directly and indirectly. This project with the help of seismic consultation by Tipping Mar’s proved to be a success.
Tipping Mar is a small innovative engineering firm in Berkeley, California, which has won many excellence awards both regionally and nationally. The firm has won LEED innovation credits for its low cement concrete mixes. It adds significant value to customers’ projects through award winning seismic design.
Source: http://www.tippingmar.com