NASA Sustainability Base
NASA Sustainability Base is located on the campus of NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.
The building also employs biofeedback systems for employees, providing an energy monitoring dashboard to review personal energy consumption habits over time.[9] Work areas are open and collaborative, with a few private offices, "huddle" rooms, and quiet study and library areas. Waste and refuse are either recycled or collected.[10] They are testing a gray water recycling system, using a three-stage process to reclaim water from sinks and showers. This, along with other water-saving features, have reduced this building's potable water demand by 85-90% of a similarly-sized office building.[11]
Design
The orientation and the lunar-shape design of this 50,000 square foot base allows it to take advantage of the prevailing winds of San Francisco Bay and the sun’s arc.[2][6] The sustainability base receives an unobstructed flow of air, due to structural supports on the exterior of the building.[5] The building’s narrow width of 54 feet and its floor-to-ceiling windows also allow daylight to reach every inch of the floor.[12]
Sustainability
The sustainability base harnesses space technology, commercially available technologies, and the surrounding environment to leave virtually no ecological footprint.[6] For example, the building features automated windows that help flush the building with cool air at night and a ground-source heat pump system.[12] The building is also equipped with a water recovery system, in which the water used to flush the toilets is filtered and used for irrigation.[12] As a result, the building uses about 90 percent less potable water than conventional buildings of comparable size.[6][3] The building is also able to generate more energy than it needs to operate, due to the Bloom Energy Box and photovoltaic solar panels onsite.[4][12] To encourage further energy conservation at the base, each employee has a personal energy dashboard that captures their energy usage.[3][6]
Awards
In April 2012, the sustainability base received LEED Platinum, the highest level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.[12][13] LEED is a worldwide green building certification program that includes a set of ratings for the construction, design, and maintenance of green buildings, aimed at encouraging building owners to use resources efficiently and be environmentally responsible.[14] The sustainability base has received other national awards including the 2010 U.S. General Services Administration Award for Green Innovation; the 2011 White House Greengov “Lean, Clean and Green Award”; and the Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership “Leadership in Innovation Award.”[13]
References
- ^ Colen, Jerry (2015-03-03). "Ames Media Resources". NASA. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ a b c "NASA Sustainability Base | 2014-06-16 | Architectural Record". www.architecturalrecord.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ a b c Palca, Joe. "NASA Uses Lessons From Space To Design An Efficient Building". NPR.org. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
- ^ )
- ^ a b Tiffany Hsu - NASA's Sustainability Base generates buzz for its eco-friendly architecture (2011) - LA Times
- ^ a b c d e Wiedemann, Darlene (2015-06-02). "About Sustainability Base". NASA. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ "NASA Sustainability Base - William McDonough + Partners". William McDonough + Partners. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
- ^ "NASA Sustainability Base". William McDonough + Partners. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ "Innovation Earth: Bringing NASA Technology Back to Earth". HuffPost. 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ Wiedemann, Darlene (2015-07-29). "Living Green". NASA. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ Wiedemann, Darlene (2015-07-29). "Living Blue". NASA. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ a b c d e "sustainability base a living testbed for nasa technologies" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Wiedemann, Darlene (2015-06-04). "NASA's Ultragreen Building Awarded Leed Platinum". NASA. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ "Benefits of Green Building | U.S. Green Building Council". www.usgbc.org. Retrieved 2023-04-21.