September 16, 2005—The new San Luis Obispo County Government Center, which completed move-in of occupants in August, incorporates many of the latest design advancements in sustainability, energy efficiency and human productivity—significantly lowering the bottom-line cost of the building, says KMD Architects, the buildings designers.
The $26 million structure achieves those goals in an aesthetically pleasing design which draws on the context of San Luis Obispo’s diverse history and architecture, the firm says.
The County Government Center design draws on decades of research as well as innovation and new devices to save on ongoing energy and operational costs, while providing an environment that enhances productivity for the building’s users, adds David Hobstetter, principal at KMD.
“Raised floors, automatic lighting systems, and other techniques helped the building beat the state’s energy-efficiency requirements by 30 percent,” he said. The raised floor system has two advantages. First, it enables the building to take advantage of the region’s cool climate because the hollow spaces circulate lower-temperature night air that is absorbed into the concrete floors and mass of the building. During the day, the building acts as a “heat sink” that sheds coolness into the interior spaces, dramatically reducing the need for air conditioning. Additionally, the raised floors contain the building’s electrical, plumbing and other conduit systems, creating a more efficient use of space.
San Luis Obispo’s sunny days are brought into many of the building’s interior spaces by strategically placed windows and glass walls, as well as new techniques such as light screens and horizontal light shelves which bounce sunlight into a room while shading out the sun’s heat. For more about the building, visit the KMD Web site.
