LESSONS LEARNED, Volume 7, was published this fall and distributed at the USGBC’s annual Greenbuild conference.
A feature article in the book, is “NASA Sustainability Base: Proving the Power of the Positive,” which covers this new project, which was under construction at the time of this story.
Here’s an excerpt:
Once in a while, collaboration between a design team and owner hits a sweet spot and the results can be magical. It was clear from the outset that collaboration on the 50,000sf NASA “Sustainability Base” would reach new heights. The deeply integrated team of designers, including William McDonough + Partners, AECOM, and Loisos+Ubbelohde was thrilled with the high aspirations of the NASA owners and excited by the opportunity to work with real rocket scientists. Cradle to Cradle® thinking was a good fit for a project with a vision to design the first space station on Earth. From the start, the entire team sensed the possibility and NASA’s commitment. …
A POSITIVE FOOTPRINT: SOME VOICES OF THE TEAM
S. Pete Worden, Director, NASA Ames Research Center: “This new building represents NASA’s commitment to sustainability and improving the quality of life on the planet. Given the incorporation of the very latest NASA technologies, I like to think of it as the first lunar outpost on Earth.”
Steve Zornetzer, Associate Director, NASA Ames Research Center: “Working closely with Bill McDonough and his team was inspirational and extremely beneficial. The collaborative process yielded a highly sustainable and beautiful design—optimized for building performance and representative of our values.”
William McDonough, William McDonough + Partners: “Working with the amazing team at NASA Ames, we saw an opportunity to look for something truly transformative. The result of this collaboration is a building design that demonstrates the highest possible technical performance, and will be a wonderful place to work—one that supports productivity, nurtures community, and celebrates connectivity.”
John Elwood, Swinerton Builders: “It truly was a collaborative team effort by all disciplines with a focus and common goal towards a LEED Platinum project. We worked as a cohesive team with open and honest communications.”
You can read the full article at this link.
The team included William McDonough + Partners, Design Architect; AECOM, Architect of Record, MEP / Structural / Civil, Landscape Architect of Record; Loisos + Ubbelohde, Daylighting / Lighting / Energy Consultant; Swinerton Builders, Contractor; Siteworks Studio, Landscape Architect; and MBDC, Materials Assessment.