Building heroes

September 7, 2021

NASA Sustainability Base | California, USA

What happens when the space race meets the sustainability race? An energy positive space station is born! šŸš€NASA Sustainability Base - an award-winning, 50,000 square-foot office building - can be found in Moffett Field, California, located at the entrance to NASAā€™s Ames Research Center. The iconic structure of the building was inspired by the wind tunnels of the NASA Ames Campus and NASA satellite images; it provides optimal daylighting and shading and supports workplace flexibility, with an exoskeleton built to protect the building during seismic events.Sustainability Base has won up to 10 different awards, including a LEEDĀ® Platinum Certification šŸ† But how exactly does this building live up to its name?šŸš° Indoor tech produced for the International Space Station recycles sink & shower greywater for toilet flushing. Outside, the Base's intelligent landscape design incorporates native & drought-resistant species, drip irrigation & water-cleansing systems - allowing Sustainability Base to save 90% of potable water compared to similar-sized facilities.šŸ—ļø During the design & construction phases, Cradle to Cradle Certifiedā„¢ products were used when available in a rigorous materials selection process. When such products were unable to be implemented, alternative products were evaluated by MBDC for their Cradle to Cradle Certifiedā„¢ potential.āš” Radiant cooling ceiling panels & hot water radiant wall heating panels, natural ventilation with automated windows, smart LED fixtures around the building & a sophisticated lighting control system that adjusts for ambient conditions & time of day, as well as 432 solar panels designed to generate roughly 30% of building electricity requirements.Lifting off towards a green future!PreviousNext