Silicon Valley, home to innovative high-tech giants and a leading hub for innovative start-ups, has also developed a reputation for its bland-looking suburban architecture. This 1970’s era, low-slung, vacant warehouse, was transformed into a net positive, design-forward workplace. Located at 380 N Pastoria Ave., the energy-efficient retrofit is designed to maximize employee health and wellness while minimizing the building’s environmental footprint and operating costs. Great indoor air quality, daylight autonomy, thermal comfort, exceptional acoustics, and connection to nature are put on display. Electrical design was led by IDeAs engineers at previous employment and includes high-volume low-speed ceiling fans to circulate air throughout the open floor plan, 100% daylight autonomy from advanced operable skylights, electrochromic glass in perimeter windows that ease heat gain while enabling outdoor views and full-spectrum color tuning LED lighting. A 148 kW state-of-the-art photovoltaic array that includes a water tight bifacial PV array doubles as a portico providing an attractive, shaded exterior workspace. Power-over-Ethernet allows building functions, such as temperature, to be digitally managed and optimized for efficiency in real time.
Since completion of the project, a battery energy storage system has been added to create an islandable PV/battery microgrid to serve critical loads.
