Design: A Building-Wide Science Experiment

A building that actually gives back to its community.

byThe Drive Staff|
Design: A Building-Wide Science Experiment
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Today in design we head to the West Coast to gawk at the California Academy of Sciences building. Built in 2008, the eco-friendly building maximizes energy efficiency by every means possible. For starters, the Academy is made of 11 million pounds of recycled steel and the roof is covered with 1.7 million plants to help counteract the building’s CO-2 emissions.  If that weren’t enough, the building is lined with 60,000 solar panels that generate 213,000 kilowatts of power, roughly 5% of the power used by the building each year. Continuing the trend of a low environmental impact, the Academy cuts down on using wasteful H-VAC units by utilizing an automated ventilation system. Taking advantage of the Golden Gate Park’s natural wind patterns, the building’s temperature controls operate tons of automated windows around the building to achieve the optimal temperature for the academy’s various ecosystems. We guess you could say the building itself is a science experiment displaying alternative construction practices for a more eco-friendly and sustainable future.

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