PHILOSOPHY
built ecology
philosophy
2
Built Ecology’s philosophy is simple; we strive to develop
design solutions that are effective, elegant and affordable.
In pursuing this challenge, we do not allow ourselves to be
constrained by convention. Rather, we innovate responsibly,
applying state-of-the-art virtual prototyping techniques to
develop and validate our designs.
We are most effective when afforded the opportunity to
collaborate with our clients during the conceptual stages of
a project. It is during this formative period that the greatest
potential exists to identify those special solutions that increase
performance without increasing cost.
By considering energy, water and waste flows within a building
as interdependent aspects of a single system, we are able to
identify opportunity for synergy - utilizing the waste product
of one process to useful effect by another. This is what smart
design is all about, the creation of solutions that amount to
more than the sum of their parts.
FEDERAL CENTER SOUTH | Photography © Benjamin Benschneider
WSP BUILT ECOLOGY | 2
Project diversity
WSP has a legacy of delivering trend-setting low-energy
buildings that stretches back more than 40 years. We strive
to push the boundaries of high performance design, both in
terms of innovation and analysis as well as engineering rigor.
We place paramount importance on the delivery of optimal
internal environments for occupant comfort and well-being.
Ventilation effectiveness, adaptive thermal comfort, glare
control and daylight contrast are all key considerations in
setting performance targets.
Ultimately, we wish to be judged not merely on
hypothetical predictions of modeled energy performance,
but on delivered results. To this end, our full-service
approach to design is key. With WSP, the design process is
not bifurcated into concept and delivery; rather, designs are
developed seamlessly by an integrated team of engineers,
analysts and architects. From conception through
to construction, commissioning and post-occupancy
verification, shared ownership and responsibility are
maintained as a constant.
We have experience with a broad range of project and building
types, each with their own unique opportunities for high
performance design. This diversity provides us with the ability
project diversity
project legacy
Project legacy
to keep abreast of the latest innovations across multiple
sectors and allows us to apply technology transfer.
RESIDENTIAL
LABS
OFFICE
SPORTS
WSP
EDUCATION
BUILT
ECOLOGY
3
4
MASTER PLANNING
CIVIC
Sydney
Showgrounds
Pavilion
Sydney, Australia
Integrated Natural
Ventilation +
Sunlighting
Hawaii Gateway
Energy Center
Kona, HI
Net Zero +
Seawater Cooling
30 The Bond
Sydney, Australia
Passive Chilled
Beams + Fully
Shaded Façade
Wendouree
Center for
Performing Arts
Ballarat, Australia
Direct Evaporative
Buoyancy
Ventilation
Council House 2
Melbourne,
Australia
Custom Exterior
Operable Shading
System
One Shelley Street Salt River Fields at
Sydney, Australia
Talking Stick
Scottsdale, AZ
Harbor Heat
Rejection
Displacement
Ventilation
De Anza College
Media +
Learning Center
Cupertino, CA
Passive Downdraft
+ Passive Shading
Federal Center
South Building 1202
Seattle, WA
Lands End
Lookout
San Francisco, CA
Hilton Foundation
Headquarters
Agoura Hills, CA
Passive Chilled
Beams, Ground
Source + Phase
Change Material
Thermal Storage
Natural
Ventilation +
Passive Daylighting
Passive Downdraft
+ Exterior Active
Sunshades
SFJAZZ
San Francisco, CA
Natural
Ventilation
Current Projects
2014
First 100% Outside Air
Displacement
2013
ENR Project of the Year and Green
Project of the Year
AIA CC Honor Award for
Sustainability
First Passive Downdraft
2013
AIA SF Energy + Sustainability Honor
Award
2012
COTE AIA 2013 Winner
First Performance Contract
2012
AIA SF Energy + Sustainability
Citation Award
2012
2011
2009
2006
First Buoyancy Ventilation
2006
2005
COTE AIA 2007 Winner
First Net-Zero Project
2004
RAIA National Award for Sustainable
Design
1998
Completed Projects
MIXED USE
NOAA Daniel K.
Inouye Regional
Center
Ford Island, HI
Seawater Cooling
LA Biomed
Los Angeles, CA
Active Chilled
Beams + Lab
Transfer Air
Seaport Square
Parcel L1
Boston, MA
Chilled beams,
Triple Glazing +
Tenant Energy
Usage Tracking
Ballona Urban
Ecology Center
Marina Del Rey,
CA
Net Zero Energy
City Dock
Los Angeles, CA
Seattle Arena
Seattle, WA
Net Positive
Master Planning
Sewer Heat
Rejection
DESIGN process
We offer a broad range of consulting services that enable
teams to establish and achieve high performance goals.
Our starting point for high performance design is to establish
targets, not only for resource reduction but also relating to
thermal and visual comfort, and indoor air quality. This is a
collaborative exercise, taking the client’s vision for the project
as the starting point and involving all stakeholders.
Passive Design
Natural ventilation
Daylight design
Indoor Air Quality
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
Thermal Comfort
VISUAL COMFORT
Systems integration
Water + waste
ENERGY MODELING
Net zero buildings
Renewable energy
5
Innovation demands rigor.
Our virtual prototyping capabilities
provide engineers and architects
with the detailed performance feedback
required to innovate with confidence.
Alan Shepherd
Senior Vice President, Built Ecology
Delivered performance
BENCHMARKING
Measurement + verification
Sustainable Building Certifications
Master planning
DESIGN INFLUENCE is greater earler in the design process
In our experience, the most successful sustainable design
strategies are those that are finely tailored to respond to the
particulars of the site, climate and behavioral patterns of the
building occupants. Our design process therefore establishes
context through a deep site analysis. As design concepts
evolve, BUILT
we adopt
a cyclical process
of conceptualization and
ECOLOGY
DELIVERY
evaluation through which competing strategies are conceived
and analyzed.
BENCHMARK
OPTIONEER
OPTIMIZE
PD
SD
DD
PD
SD
DD
A key differentiator of WSP is the close integration between
our Built Ecology team and MEP engineers. Our concepts are
informed not only by cutting-edge analysis techniques, but by
engineers who possess a wealth of experience gained from
over 40 years of successful project delivery. This ensures that
our designs strike the optimal balance between innovation and
practicality. COST
WhenOFit DESIGN
comes to
cost, our credo is that if a solution
CHANGES increases later in the design process
is not affordable, it is not sustainable. Our design concepts
are therefore subject to a total cost of ownership study that is
presented to the client in clear, concise business terms.
A further advantageMEP
of our
in-house ‘concept to completion’
DELIVERY
capability is the continuity of design ownership that we offer
throughout a project’s life-cycle. Our concepts are developed
knowing that we will ultimately carry accountability as the Engineer
VERIFY
of Record, as well as responsibility for energy performance
during
CD
CA
POST
OCCUPANCY
Measurement and Verification.
COST OF DESIGN CHANGES increases later in the design process
BUILT ECOLOGY DELIVERY
BENCHMARK
OPTIONEER
CA
POST OCCUPANCY
MEP DELIVERY
OPTIMIZE
DESIGN INFLUENCE is greater earler in the design process
Built Ecology’s process through the design phases.
CD
VERIFY
design process
built ecology services
Built ecology services
6
Architect Jennifer Devlin-Herbert
Principal, EHDD
8
We see architectural form, materials and façade as
representing the primary means through which a building
moderates the impact of external climate. Systems, in
contrast, are compensatory measures that maintain comfort
conditions during those times when a building cannot passively
self-regulate.
Working collaboratively with the architect during the early
stages of design, we seek to maximize this inherent potential
for passive environmental regulation. Through the application
of natural ventilation, passive solar heating, daylight harvesting
and thermal mass cooling, we can often improve building
performance without increasing cost.
lands end lookout | Photography © Michael David Rose
passive Design
passive Design
7
We challenged you to harness the stunning
attributes of the site from whipping sea-laden
wind to harsh western sun and you developed a
simple, passive approach that has proved highly
effective a year into the project. Partnering with
you was exactly how we see our best sustainable
buildings emerging...
Passive design
Daylight Design
In the pursuit of energy efficiency, our philosophy is that buildings
and their systems should be as complicated as necessary, but
not more so. To this end, we seek to develop elegant design
solutions that are beautiful, functional and intuitive to operate
and maintain.
Designing for daylight is both an art and a science; harnessed
effectively it can complement the architectural quality and
character of a space while significantly reducing the energy
demand of electric lighting. Studies have also shown that well daylit
environments promote occupant well-being and productivity.
An excellent example of this approach can be seen in our natural
ventilation strategy for the Sydney Showgrounds Pavilion. Analysis
of the original design concept showed an area of stagnant air in
the center of the space, while direct solar radiation through the
skylights created unacceptable levels of contrast. Our solution
was to introduce fabric ‘lantern’ features that served to diffuse
daylight as well as to promote deeper ventilation penetration.
Built Ecology utilizes state-of-the-art daylight modeling software
to inform the design of building façades, light wells and atria.
Our goal is to harvest beneficial natural light while mitigating the
potentially detrimental side-effects of glare and solar heat gain.
Our seamless integration with WSP’s specialist lighting team
allows us to ensure that daylight and electric lighting designs
are complementary, both in terms of energy efficiency and
architectural aesthetic.
10
Natural exhaust
Natural
ventilation
Direct sunlight
Natural stack effect
Initial design concept
Stagnant occupied zone
Natural exhaust
Natural
ventilation
Natural ventilation directed to
occupied zone
Diffuse sunlight
passive Design
passive Design
9
ENGINEERED ELEGANCE
Final design
SYDNEY SHOWGROUNDS PAVILION | Client: Olympic Coordination Authority Royal Agriculture Society | Architect: Pavilion Architects | Images © WSP, Built Ecology
Rendering © WSP, Built Ecology | LOS ANGELES federal COURTHOUSE COMPETITION
LANDS END LOOKOUT
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
Client:
National Parks Service
Architect:
EHDD
passive Design
passive Design
CASE STUDY 01:
Awards + Certifications:
AIA SF Energy + Sustainability
Honor Award
LEED Platinum
MEP:
WSP
Project Size:
4,150 ft²
Completion Date:
2012
11
12
Lands End Lookout is a new visitor center overlooking the Pacific
Ocean in San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
While serving as an information hub for park visitors, the building
also houses a shop and café.
The building’s innovative passive design harnesses daylight,
prevailing winds and site topography to conserve energy,
water and embodied carbon. The building achieved a LEED
Platinum certification due to a 60% demand reduction against
the ASHRAE 90.1 energy standard and a 40% contribution of
renewable energy from a rooftop photovoltaic array.
Diagrams of the natural ventilation design
on a (from left to right) cold day, temperate
day and hot day
Daylight analysis of the lookout space at
9 a.m. (top) and 3 p.m. (bottom) on
September 21st
LANDS END LOOKOUT | Photography © Michael David Rose | Daylighting Studies + Sketches © WSP, Built Ecology (Opposite Page)
NOAA Daniel K. Inouye
Regional Center
FORD ISLAND, HAWAII
Client:
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA)
Awards + Certifications:
LEED Gold Anticipated
Architect:
HOK
passive Design
passive Design
CASE STUDY 02:
MEP:
WSP
Project Size:
310,000 ft²
Completion Date:
2013
13
14
The design of the new Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center for
NOAA includes the sustainable adaptive reuse of two World
War II-era airplane hangars which form part of the historic Pearl
Harbor Naval Complex. The two hangars have been connected
through the addition of a new infill building, creating a unique
federal facility that will house over 700 NOAA personnel in a
total of 310,000 square feet.
Extensive daylight modeling informed the design of new atria
and skylights, which bring daylight into the deep plan areas of
the building and virtually eliminate the need for electric lighting
during daylit hours. An innovative passive downdraft ventilation
approach takes advantage of the Hawaiian trade winds and
natural buoyancy forces to ventilate the building interior without
the use of fans. Sea water is used to provide free cooling
for much of the year, and at times when dehumidification is
necessary, the condensate by-product is captured and used to
irrigate the native landscaping.
Rendering © HOK | noaa Daniel K. Inouye REGIONAL Center
15
passive Design
passive Design
PHYSICAL TESTING:
A bespoke daylight
luminaire was developed
that used translucent
louvers to diffuse daylight
entering via the skylights.
Due to a lack of reliable
performance data on
translucent materials,
a physical mock-up
was created to test
the spectral qualities of
various diffuser options.
16
BEFORE: Daylight rendering of skylights
AFTER: Photograph of skylights
Daylight contour analysis
Photo-realistic rendering
NOAA Daniel K. Inouye REGIONAL Center | Architectural Renderings © HOK | Daylight Renderings © WSP, Built Ecology | Photographs © WSP, Built Ecology (Opposite Page)
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
There are a handful of passive downdraft
buildings in service worldwide, but we
believe the execution of the system at
De Anza College’s Media + Learning Center
to be on a scale and level of sophistication
that is wholly unique...
FACADE
OPTIMIZATION
Architect Mike Matson
Project Manager, Ratcliff
17
18
The façade of a building represents a critical confluence of
architectural expression and climate interaction. Natural
ventilation, daylight harvesting, night time ventilation, glare,
views, heat loss, heat gain – all of these exist in the myriad
of interactions between internal and external environments.
Our holistic approach to building energy modeling captures
this complexity; becoming an indispensable tool in developing
façade solutions that maintain architectural character while
delivering on energy, daylight and comfort.
DE ANZA COLLEGE MEDIAL + LEARNING CENTER | Photography © David Wakely
NANJING SUNING PLAZA
NANJING, CHINA
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
CASE STUDY 01:
Client:
Suning Real Estate Company
Architect:
JAHN
MEP:
WSP
Project Size:
2,700,000 ft²
Completion Date:
2015
19
20
The Nanjing Suning Plaza is an architectural ensemble comprising
the Nanjing Tower and associated eight-story podium building. The
1,400-foot-tall mixed-use mega tower includes commercial office
space, a hotel, residential condominiums and conferencing facilities;
the podium houses a retail mall and entertainment complex.
Particular areas of study were the façade and atrium space
within the podium building. Built Ecology worked closely with
the architect, utilizing advanced virtual prototyping techniques to
inform the design of the triangulated external shading system and
the “vortex” atria space that extends down from the roof into
the retail mall below.
2
3
Rendering © JAHN | NANJING SUNING PLAZA
CFD analysis was used to inform the design of radiant
floor heating used to offset the downdraft of cold air at
the interior surface of the vortex.
21
Dynamic thermal modeling and daylight analysis were used to optimize
the triangulated façade shading ‘scales’ of the podium building. The
scales were oriented to capture beneficial diffuse daylight while
providing effective control of glare and overheating associated with
direct beam radiation.
Daylight analysis of the retail mall was used to inform
the design of the exterior shading scales and as well as
the spectral qualities of the vortex glazing.
NANJING SUNING PLAZA | Rendering © JAHN | Images © WSP, Built Ecology (Opposite Page)
2
3
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
An overhead view of the plaza building showing the glazed
“vortex” atria that extends down into the retail mall.
22
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN
AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Client:
Smithsonian Institution
Architects:
David Adjaye, Freelon
Group, Davis Brody Bond,
SmithGroupJJR
MEP:
WSP
Awards + Certifications:
Anticipating LEED Gold
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
CASE STUDY 02:
Project Size:
330,000 ft²
Completion Date:
2015
23
24
The National Museum of African American History and
Culture (NMAAHC) will occupy a prominent position on the
National Mall between the Washington Monument and the
Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
The building boasts a host of sustainable design features
including a performance-driven façade design, on-site solar
hot water and photovoltaic power generation, high-efficiency
HVAC systems, a grey water reclamation system and a rooftop
garden that will serve to detain and regulate storm water flow
to the municipal sewer system.
NMAAHC | Images © Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroupJJR
25
A critical aspect of the project is the building façade, the design of which
is being informed through detailed performance modeling. Energy
and daylight analysis have been employed to inform the porosity and
patterning of the exterior perforated metal screen, while CFD has
also been instrumental in identifying and mitigating potential issues of
condensation and downdraft at the façade interior.
NMAAHC | Images © Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroupJJR | Images © WSP, Built Ecology (Opposite Page)
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
FACADE OPTIMIZATION
These CFD images of the
façade indicate the internal
glazing temperature for
alternative conditioning
strategies. The results
identify how in the original
airflow strategy, cold pockets
of air tend to form under
the horizontal steps of the
façade, creating the potential
for localized condensation.
The CFD analysis
demonstrates the success
of a revised conditioning
strategy that utilizes relief air
to create a thermal buffer at
the façade interior.
26
Air handler uses heat recovery
on exhaust air to temper
incoming ventilation air
Smoke evacuation
Natural convection exhaust
Atrium skylight
Oxbow skylight
Phase change
material thermal
storage tank for
efficient conditioning
Reclaimed
wood
structure
and finish
materials
27
High performance
glazing
Orientation specific
solar shades
28
In designing building systems, we take nature as our
model. Nature wastes nothing. It is replete with symbiotic
relationships in which waste from one organism becomes
resource for another. This approach to design requires that we
simulate energy, water and waste flows as aspects of a single
interrelated system.
To meet this challenge we utilize advanced system simulation
software that provides us with almost unlimited flexibility to
model and validate the performance of any combination of
energy, water and waste system technologies.
Rainwater
harvesting
Structural steel piles with
integral hydronic loops for
efficient conditioning
Perimeter hydronic
radiant heating
FEDERAL CENTER SOUTH | Systems Integration Diagram © ZGF Architects, LLP
SYSTEMS
INTEGRATION
Conditioned air
delivered underfloor
Underfloor air
for ventilation
and cooling
“Chilled sails”
hydronic radiant
cooling
SYSTEMS integration
systems
INTEGRATION
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
100% outside air intake
29
The Wendouree Center auditorium uses 100% outside air
Passive downdraft ventilation and conditioning system diagram
Water + waste
Involvement during the formative stages of design allows
Built Ecology to work with the architect to meld form
with environmental function. This approach enables the
architecture to become an integral part of the environmental
control system.
To optimize water systems, we analyze opportunities to not only
conserve water, but also to capture, treat and reuse this resource
on-site. Our analysis starts early in the design process as we look
for opportunities to integrate ecological water management into
the design of rain, storm and wastewater systems.
An elegant example of this approach is the Wendouree Center
for Performing Arts in Melbourne, Australia. The 100%
outdoor air system uses an evaporative “shower tower” to
adiabatically cool the intake air, which travels through a thermal
labyrinth underneath the theater seating. Thermal buoyancy,
generated by heat from the audience, coupled with solar
assistance, induces the conditioned air to rise up through the
seating and out through passive exhausts. The system provides
comfortable conditions year-round without the use of fans or
mechanical cooling.
We work closely with civil engineers, landscape architects and
WSP’s plumbing engineers to develop holistic water and waste
strategies. This integration creates opportunities for water
resource savings that might otherwise be overlooked.
30
Heat from the sun creates buoyancy
effect + drives natural ventilation
Fluid cooler
Roof Drains
Toilets
Wind creates negative pressure to
drive ventilation
Irrigation
Warm air from occupants
rises naturally
Thermal labyrinth
100%
Outside air
Store
Toilets
Passage
Cistern
Orchestra pit receives fresh air
Outside air cooled naturally by
labyrinth thermal mass
Wendouree Center for Performing Arts | Photography www.visitballarat.com.au | Diagram © WSP, Built Ecology
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRATION
Outside air cooled by shower towers
Images © ZGF Architects, LLP | federal center south
FEDERAL CENTER SOUTH
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Client:
GSA & U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (USACE)
Awards + Certifications:
AIA COTE Top Ten Green
Projects Awards 2013 Winner
Architect:
ZGF Architects, LLP
Design-Build Institute of America,
National Design-Build Awards,
Office Buildings Winner
MEP:
WSP
Project Size:
200,000 ft²
Completion Date:
2012
31
IIDA Northern Pacific Chapter,
INawards, Sustainability Winner
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
CASE STUDY 01:
ENR Northwest, Best Projects,
Government/Public Building
Winner
LEED Gold
32
The U.S. General Services Administration Federal Center
South Building 1202 is the new regional headquarters for
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwest District.
The 200,000 square foot building was designed in
accordance with the GSA’s Design Excellence program and
delivered by a design-build team led by ZGF Architects and
Sellen Construction.
The building is a model of integrated design, fusing both
passive and active environmental control strategies in
innovative new ways. The building is strategically oriented
for optimal solar control and benefits from an ultra-efficient
envelope with high levels of insulation. The unique ox-bow
form minimizes external surface area, thereby reducing
heat loss, while the central atria delivers ample daylight to
the building’s interior. The embodied energy content of
the facility is also substantially reduced through the use of
reclaimed wood in the dramatic central atrium.
FEDERAL CENTER SOUTH | Photography © Benjamin Benschneider
1
33
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
The cut-away section below shows the integration of the building’s
passive and active environmental control features. The facility is heated
and cooled via reversible heat pumps that exchange thermal energy with
foundation integrated energy piles. The HVAC delivery system includes
a 100% outdoor air ventilation supply, passive chilled ‘sails’, buoyancydriven return airflow through the atrium and ventilation heat recovery.
34
106
ABOVE LEFT:
The building features external solar shading tuned by
orientation and an internal commons area made of
wood reclaimed from a warehouse that previously
occupied the site.
EUI
100
ABOVE RIGHT:
An innovative phase change material thermal storage
tank is used to capture afternoon cooling heat
rejection energy, which is used the following day to
provide free morning warm-up.
75
50
27.6
EUI - kBTU/SF/year
25
EUI
20.3
EUI
The design-build team was contractually obligated
to deliver a building with a 74% reduction in energy
use compared with a typical office building.
0
TYPICAL OFFICE
BUILDING
REQUIRED
PERFORMANCE
CBECS regional average
Plug Loads
Lighting
Domestic Hot Water
FINAL DESIGN
PREDICTED
PERFORMANCE
Pumps
Cooling
Heating
FEDERAL CENTER SOUTH | Photography © Benjamin Benschneider (Upper Left) | Photography © WSP, Built Ecology (Upper Right) | Illustration © ZGF Architects, LLP (Opposite Page)
DE ANZA COLLEGE
MEDIA + LEARNING CENTER
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA
Client:
De Anza Community College
Architect:
Ratcliff Architects
MEP:
WSP
Project Size:
60,000 ft²
Awards: + Certifications:
AIA SF Citation Award,
Energy + Sustainability
LEED Platinum
ENR Best Projects of 2013,
Award of Merit, Green Project
(Northern California)
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
CASE STUDY 02:
Completion Date:
2012
35
36
The Media and Learning Center is a new educational facility
at De Anza Community College in Cupertino, California.
The facility provides flexible, general purpose classrooms
and labs for instructional space, with academic capacity
for anthropology, sociology and world languages. The
building also houses offices for distance learning, staff and
organizational development, and a broadcast media film
and television studio.
The design of the building form, orientation and façade were
informed through dynamic thermal modeling to maximize
potential for passive solar heating, daylight access and
views while managing the impacts of direct sun. A passive
downdraft, buoyancy-driven ventilation system provides
low energy and silent heating, cooling and 100% outside air
ventilation to the classrooms and offices. Roof-mounted
solar-thermal collectors meet 40% of the building’s annual
heating and hot water demands, while a photovoltaic array
generates 25% of the annual power consumption.
Photography © David Wakely | DE ANZA COLLEGE MEDIA + LEARNING CENTER
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
At the top of the shafts, outside air is
brought in through louvers that are
controlled to account for wind direction.
The air passes across a cooling coil to
create a buoyancy effect that drives the
air down the shafts.
37
38
From the shaft, the fresh air is delivered
to an underfloor plenum where it enters
the classrooms through floor diffusers. If
heating is required, heating coils will heat
the air as it enters the underfloor plenum.
The image above demonstrates the operating principle of passive
downdraft ventilation. During summer, air enters the top of the intake
shafts where it is cooled and begins to descend under its own weight.
It then transfers into raised access floors before being supplied up into
the classroom spaces. As the air picks up heat from people, computers
and solar gain, it becomes more buoyant, rises to high level and
transfers into the central atrium space where it is exhausted out of the
building via clerestory vents.
Air is exhausted from the classrooms to
the atrium, where it leaves the building
through automated clerestory windows.
DE ANZA COLLEGE MEDIA + LEARNING CENTER | Renderings © Ratcliff Architects | Rendering © Ratcliff Architects (Opposite Page) | Photography © David Wakely (Opposite Page)
net zero buildings
NET ZERO BUILDINGS
We challenged you to dream big - to stretch
and to come up with cutting-edge ideas
in sustainable building design and green
technologies. You rose to the occasion and
surpassed our expectations.
NET ZERO
BUILDINGS
Steven M. Hilton
Chairman, President & CEO / Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
39
40
“Net zero” conveys more than merely the ability of a building
to generate as much energy as it uses over the course of
a year; it represents a tangible commitment on behalf of a
building owner to address the pressing issues of climate change
and energy independence.
When the term “net zero” first entered the architectural
vernacular it was used to describe the very leading edge of high
performance building design. Recent advances in construction
techniques, academic research and renewable energy
technologies, combined with the introduction of initiatives
such as the Living Building Challenge and Architecture 2030,
has seen net zero evolve from an aspirational goal to a feasible
reality for many projects.
Still, there are relatively few completed net zero buildings, and
fewer still with proven operational performance. Through the
demonstration of net zero energy use on completed projects
including the Hawaii Gateway Energy Center and the Conrad
N. Hilton Foundation Headquarters, WSP is paving the way.
CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION | Photograph © Nick Merrick
HAWAII GATEWAY ENERGY CENTER
KONA, HAWAII
Client:
Natural Energy Lab Hawaii
Authority (NELHA)
Awards + Certifications:
AIA COTE Top Ten Green
Projects Awards 2007 Winner
Architect:
Ferraro Choi
LEED Platinum
MEP:
WSP
net zero buildings
NET ZERO BUILDINGS
CASE STUDY 01:
Project Size:
3,600 ft²
Completion Date:
2004
41
42
The Hawaii Gateway Energy Center (HGEC) visitor complex,
situated on the south coast of Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii,
serves the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority
(NELHA). The facility houses administrative office space,
PV Array
restrooms, support areas, and a large multi-purpose space that is
used for displays, outreach, conferencing, and education.
The project is an exemplar of sustainable design and has been
operating with net positive energy since its completion in 2004.
The project integrates a number of innovative demand reduction
strategies, including a seawater cooling system and bouyancy
driven ventilation. The necessary energy offset is provided by an
integrated photovoltaic array that is optimally angled to maximize
solar capture.
Hot Air
Exhaust Outlet
Exhaust
Inlet
PV Array
NORTH
Suspended
Uplights
SOUTH
Deep Ocean
Seawater for
Cooling
Diagram of Hawaii Gateway Energy Center
natural ventilation system
Cool Air
Plenum
HAWAII GATEWAY ENERGY CENTER | Image © WSP | Photography © 2007, David Franzen (Opposite Page)
Cool Air
Outlet
Built Ecology offers a full renewable energy systems consulting
service that guides a client through the various system and
financing options.
net zero buildings
NET ZERO BUILDINGS
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Finally, we provide a full design service that includes the
integration of the renewable technologies in the design of the
building’s HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems.
Our process starts with a site-specific renewable energy
resource survey that identifies potential for solar, wind, biofuel
and other technologies. We present the options in clear business
terms, providing a total cost of ownership benefit, including
consideration of all available subsidies.
43
44
DE ANZA COLLEGE MEDIA + LEARNING CENTER | Photography © WSP
Photography © Nick Merrick | CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION
CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION
AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA
Client:
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Architect:
ZGF Architects, LLP
MEP:
WSP
Project Size:
22,000 ft²
Completion Date:
2012
Awards + Certifications:
AIA California Council,
Sustainability Honor Award
U.S. Green Building Council - LA
Chapter Sustainable Innovation
Award, Energy + Atmosphere
Winner, Project of the Year Winner
net zero buildings
NET ZERO BUILDINGS
CASE STUDY 02:
ENR California, Best Projects
Southern California, Green Project
Winner, Project of the Year Winner
Los Angeles Business Council,
Architectural Awards. Grand Prize
LEED Platinum
45
46
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s grantmaking programs
work to improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable
people throughout the world. Key objectives of their
new office campus were to reflect those goals in the
design and provide a building that demonstrates worldclass best-practice in sustainable design. The project
achieves net zero energy use annually through renewable
energy contribution from evacuated tube solar thermal
collectors and a 115 kW photovoltaic array. It also utilizes
an innovative passive downdraft ventilation and cooling
approach along with extensive daylight integration to
reduce energy demand by more than 65% compared with
a typical office building.
The facility was officially opened in January 2013 and recently
completed its first year of Measurement and Verification,
the results from which confirm its net zero credentials.
CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION | Photography © Nick Merrick
47
net zero buildings
NET ZERO BUILDINGS
CONCEPT VALIDATION:
With passive downdraft air movement is driven by very
small pressure differentials generated by the natural thermal
buoyancy of the air. As such, it is absolutely critical that
pressure drop through the system components is closely
controlled. Detailed computational fluid dynamics modeling
was undertaken to validate the design under varying
operating conditions.
48
External shading is used to control solar
gains.
The building utilizes a passive downdraft
system to condition the space. Air is
drawn in through the top of the shafts
and delivered to the space through
underfloor plenums.
Daylight harvesting reduces lighting energy
and light shelves maintain daylight ingress
during times of direct sun when the
external shades are down.
CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION | Photography © Nick Merrick | Diagram © ZGF Architects, LLP | Images © WSP (Opposite Page)
49
MASTERPLANNING
masterplanning
masterplanning
50
Whether it be at the building, neighborhood or city scale, Built
Ecology brings the same design ethos to deliver maximum
value solutions through the identification and exploitation
of synergies that exist between energy, water, waste and
transportation systems.
Through a unifying interdisciplinary perspective, Built Ecology
works as a synthesizer of design. We collaborate with clients,
architects, planners and economists as well as drawing on
the vast pool of expertise from across WSP’s broad range of
engineering disciplines.
Our process utilizes design charettes to involve all project
stakeholders in the creative process; identifying opportunity,
specifying design goals and developing design strategies
that succeed in meeting environmental, economic and
social objectives.
Photography © Rudy Balasko
Delivered
performance
ZGF Architects, LLP
52
With the advent of Architecture 2030 and the Living Building
Challenge the construction industry is shifting focus from
predicted energy performance to delivered results. This is
set to change the future of building procurement, design and
maintenance and we are taking the necessary steps to lead the way.
Post-occupancy Measurement and Verification is now included
as part of our standard scope of service. This work involves
tracking a building’s post-occupancy energy, water, and thermal
comfort performance against our predictive models, highlighting
discrepancies and recommending corrective action. Already WSP
is designing buildings that are being held to performance bond
contracts, and we expect this to be the way of the future.
FEDERAL CENTER SOUTH | Photography © Benjamin Benschneider
DELIVERED PERFORMANCE
DELIVERED PERFORMANCE
51
With sustainability at the forefront, the
design integrates active and passive systems,
materials and strategies in new ways.
Its optimized form and building orientation will
place this building within the top one percent
of energy efficient buildings across the country
— without sacrificing comfort, amenities or
innovative design.
FEDERAL CENTER SOUTH
Our Measurement and Verification service involves monitoring
a completed building for a full year following occupancy. The
actual energy use is compared with the design energy model
which is calibrated to account for measured weather data,
occupancy levels and equipment loads. Where divergence
between actual and predicted energy use is identified we
develop mitigating strategies and oversee their implementation.
The client and design team are fully engaged throughout the
process and feedback is provided through clear and concise
quarterly reports.
A key component of the GSA’s Design Excellence program
is the inclusion of a performance bond contract. At Federal
Center South, the contracted performance target was a
30% improvement over energy standard ASHRAE 90.1 –
2007, and the bond set at 0.5% of the design-build contract
value. Following a 12-month Measurement and Verification
period, Built Ecology was able to successfully demonstrate
that the required in-use energy performance had been
achieved, and the bond was released in December 2013.
53
Our experience has shown that Measurement and Verification
is absolutely essential in ensuring that a building delivers on its
full performance potential.
Building opening and start of M+V
SEATTLE, WA
54
Implementation of controls changes to
HVAC + lighting systems
25
Energy Model
Domestic Hot Water
20
Fans
Heat Rejection
15
Pumps
Heating and Cooling
EUI (kBtu/ft²/year)
10
Lighting
Unitary System
5
Elevators
Plug Loads
0
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
DELIVERED PERFORMANCE
DELIVERED PERFORMANCE
Measurement + verification
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
Actual energy performance compared against modeled energy prediction. Note how the implementation of corrective actions result in the gradual
alignment of actual and predicted energy use.
FEDERAL CENTER SOUTH | Image © WSP, Built Ecology | Photography © Benjamin Benschneider (Opposite Page)
The source of our creativity and innovation comes from the diverse
skills and experience of our staff. Comprised of engineers, analysts and
architects, the Built Ecology team brings a healthy cross section of design
perspective coupled with an inquisitive nature that continually challenges
the status quo.
BUILT ECOLOGY
BUILT ECOLOGY TEAM
BUILT ECOLOGY TEAM
Our North America capability is strengthened through close ties with
Built Ecology teams in Australia, Singapore and the UK.
55
56
EAST COAST
WEST COAST
key contacts
ONE SHELLEY STREET | Image © Brookfield Multiplex
Alan Shepherd, PE
Senior Vice President
415.402.2217
alan.shepherd@wspgroup.com
Matthew Payne
Vice President
212.951.5904
matthew.payne@wspgroup.com