Breathing easy

For times of the year when it is not possible to use natural ventilation, Sustainability Base has an under-floor air distribution system (UFAD) to meet fresh air ventilation requirements. Air is provided at the occupied floor level for occupant air quality around 30 percent over the minimum ASHRAE requirements for improved occupant air quality. Air is supplied via a shallow raised floor plenum with shared utility for electrical and data services routing. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modeling proved air distribution effectiveness along the relatively narrow and long floor-plates. To enable natural ventilation to function within future perimeter offices, operable mid and top window panes are provided. The top panes can be motorized open at night to provide pre-cooling of the structure during summer. Simulation modeling predicted that natural ventilation will be able to be employed 40 percent of annual occupied hours.

Chill out

Chilled ceilings were chosen for the excellent comfort they provide due to the radiative cooling effect of the large surface area of the chilled ceiling panel. In addition, low maintenance requirements and low air movement compared to traditional all-air systems will result in less occupant disturbance and complaints respectively. With chilled ceilings, care must be taken to ensure condensation does not form on the ceiling. The water temperatures from the geothermal loop (around 60° Fahrenheit) are ideally suited for this application.

Down to earth

NASA's intelligent control technology has been adapted to work with the Siemens automated building control system to provide enhanced building comfort. The forward osmosis water recycling system used in Sustainability Base was designed for use on the International Space Station. A Bloom's Energy Server™ provides onsite distributed power generation. This Bloom Box is a modular fuel cell that converts fuel (initially Natural Gas) into electricity through a clean electro-chemical process. It generates approximately 1.62 million kWhr/yr, roughly five times the capacity needed to offset the building's energy demands and take it "off grid."

Pump it up

Rather than use conventional boilers and chillers, Sustainability Base employs a closed-loop, buried, vertical pipe-work system in conjunction with ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs). This system saves energy over conventional systems by utilizing the relatively constant temperature of the soil all year around. In the Bay Area during summer, the soil is at a lower temperature than the air, and hence heat removed from the building can be rejected via water circulated through buried pipe loops more efficiently. The reverse is true in winter: water in the buried pipe loops can be used as a heat source for the building. A parade ground adjacent the site is used for the buried loops, eliminating any concerns with constructing over the top of the loops. Around 100 loops at 150 feet deep are provided to meet the building's thermal loads.

Keeping it real

NASA's prognostics study tools will be used to reduce building maintenance costs. NASA's Inductive monitoring systems (IMS) will acquire data relating to energy use and HVAC system performance to learn how the building is operating and then monitor how it performs over time. NASA's Hybrid diagnostic engine (HyDE) will be used to monitor functioning of parts of the geothermal system.

Getting smart

Motorized top pane windows are automatically controlled to maximize energy savings. Occupants are able to optimize both comfort and energy savings by taking their cue to manually adjust the lower window panes from the status of the top panes. The CO2 sensors will ramp down mechanical ventilation fans at low occupancy when required. The solar tracking automatic blinds are interlocked with the automatic top pane operable windows to ensure that blinds and windows are synchronized for the sake of energy-efficiency. User knowledge and understanding plays a vital part in a sustainable building. To promote friendly competition and awareness, a summary of energy use is provided on a floor-by-floor basis on an LCD screen within the lobby.

Let the Sun Shine In

Glazing areas are optimized at the Sustainability Base to enable occupants to experience high levels of visual comfort through enhanced daylighting. As a result of this, Sustainability Base experiences energy-saving benefits by relying less on electric light compared to conventionally designed buildings. Large glazing areas on the north and south façades are employed in conjunction with light shelves to ensure daylight penetrates deep into the space. Skylights at the second floor positioned along the entire central building spines also assist with this.

Kicking ASHRAE

Sustainability Base is expected to achieve a 65 percent energy use reduction against the ASHRAE 90.1 2004 minimum requirements.

Check the flow

Solar hot water panels on the roof can offset more than half of the domestic hot water generation demand. A potable water use reduction of 90 percent over a conventional installation is expected by the use of campus "MEW" recycled water for irrigation, grey water recycling and low-flow fixtures.

Saving green

Predicted yearly energy savings are around US$30,000.

Raise the roof

Given NASA's pioneering research in photovoltaics (PV) dating back to the 1950s, it seemed appropriate that Sustainability Base have PV incorporated. The roof PV structure generates 131,400 kWhr annually, over 27 percent of the building's energy need. The panels operate at the highest efficiency currently possible for this technology, 19 percent.

Nice shades

While large glazing areas maximize daylighting, they have the detrimental effect of increasing solar heat gain. Fortunately, Sustainability Base's main building axis is oriented approximately east-west. Computer modeling analysis demonstrated that horizontal shading on the east and west faces provided the most benefit.

Run it back

FSC-certified wood used: 72% Recycled content used: 28+% Regional materials used: 13+% Construction waste diverted: 90+%

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Our comprehensive building engineering expertise, Advanced Technology Group, and connections to related AECOM planning and design disciplines give us an unsurpassed platform for delivering more fundamentally intelligent buildings. Through a fresh, creative and collaborative approach to each building, we determine ways to make it more healthy, comfortable, and safe for its users while consuming less energy and water than the norm. Informed by cost and construction considerations, and embracing the vision of each client, we are out to make a more efficient and sustainable built environment.

It's a mission we've realized across North America with facilities such as NASA's Sustainability Base and Langley Research Center Headquarters, the Calgary and San Jose International Airports, the Manitoba Hydro office building and Inland Empire Transportation Management Center. And it's one we continue to pursue and expand, as our experience leads to ever greater capabilities and aspirations.

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When NASA planned to add the first new building in 20 years to the Ames Research Center in California, home to much of the agency's most innovative technology, the goal was that the facility be an exemplar in sustainability. The result is a building that is native to place, melding with its natural and built surroundings, and grid positive, producing more energy than it consumes. Sustainability Base officially opened on April 20, 2012.

Working with design architect William McDonough + Partners, AECOM provided the innovative engineering behind this model facility and served as architect, engineer and landscape architect of record. The team also included Loisos Ubbelohde (lighting consultant), Siteworks Studio (landscape design), and MBDC (materials assessment). By embracing a collaborative design approach that identified the long-term sustainable performance of the building as a key project driver, the team garnered over 80 percent of the points available within the USGBC's LEED certification program, earning the building LEED Platinum, the highest possible rating.

"It was a fascinating puzzle putting the building's pieces together—from its orientation, to its façade, to its mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems—in a way that unlocked new and better efficiencies," said Alastair MacGregor, who leads the High-Performance Buildings group at AECOM. "We pride ourselves on a fresh, creative approach to each building. With Sustainability Base we promoted passive, active and renewable strategies to achieve NASA's goals."

The group has done innovative work on other buildings including NASA's LEED Platinum certified Langley Research Center Headquarters, the Calgary and San Jose International Airports, the Manitoba Hydro office building and the LEED Gold certified Inland Empire Transportation Management Center. Learn more.

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Sustainability Base achieved LEED Platinum, the highest possible rating within the USGBC's LEED certification program. The team garnered over 80 percent of the available points by embracing a collaborative design approach that identified the long-term sustainable performance of the building as a key project driver. LEED metrics include the following:

  • 90% reduction in annual potable water consumption
  • 65% reduction in annual energy consumption
  • 27% of building's energy demand from onsite solar
  • 90+% construction waste diversion
  • 28+% recycled materials utilization
  • 13+% regional materials utilization

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Learn more about Building Engineering at AECOM and read Agenda (PDF), our technical journal. Learn more about our related practices of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Masterplanning and Environmental Planning. Learn more about our work in Sports, Healthcare and Education. Explore exemplary environments.

AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government, and is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world's built, natural and social environments. Learn more: www.aecom.com.