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Project info
| Size | 19,000 sq ft |
|---|
The NRDC San Francisco office consists of two floors that house roughly 90 staff members. The floors are located within the Hunter-Dulin Building. Early on, a major project goal was to preserve as much historical integrity of the space. By recycling and salvaging materials, much of the previous renovation was maintained, existing elements of beauty were embraced, and waste creation was mitigated, thereby reducing the environmental impact associated with new construction.
All office electronics are Energy Star–certified, exceeding government energy-efficiency standards. Vacancy sensors on lights ensure excessive and unnecessary electricity is avoided. Additionally, daylight controls are built into the lighting system, enabling the space to utilize large amounts of natural light. Outlet sensors automatically power down computers, printers, docking stations, and other electronics at a designated time. These design elements have contributed to a 55 percent reduction in lighting-power density of the office. Along with the added benefit of reduced utility cost, energy-efficient building and product design in the San Francisco office supports NRDC’s financial health while protecting the climate and environment.
To support water conservation, low-flow faucets, shower heads, toilets, and urinals were installed. In fact, the office reached an overall indoor water reduction of 40 percent, an especially important feature considering California’s severe drought at the time of the renovation.
All NRDC offices, including San Francisco, have a smart-technology system installed to monitor consumption of water and energy, broken down by type, in real time. Detailed data is collected and stored in an online database that provides in-depth reports of energy and water use.
To offset the carbon emissions NRDC caused due to construction, we purchased Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) credits in the magnitude of 38 tons of CO2e, the estimated embodied carbon footprint from unavoidable emissions associated with San Francisco’s renovation.