2020 Sustainable Innovation Awards
Energy/Operational Carbon
OCSD’s Mission is “to protect public health and the environment by providing effective wastewater collection, treatment, and recycling.” Their core values seek efficiencies to ensure that public money is wisely spent and that they lead by example to conserve resources. The design is on-target to deliver:
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Net zero (NZ) + embodied carbon facility and Net Zero Energy Certification in a responsible and cost-effective manner.
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Achieve LEED Gold with a pathway to Platinum.
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Support the health and wellness of OCSD employees and visitors.
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Add value by balancing first costs with life cycle costs.
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Make a beautiful and welcoming civic building without being ostentatious.
Sustainability is the design driver. Exterior materials (silicon glazed curtain wall and terracotta rain screen) were selected to perform well in the high-pollution/high-salt environment given proximity to the freeway and the ocean. The mass timber with steel braced frames structure not only helps achieve NZ embodied carbon, it reduces the overall weight of the structure (critical because of soil conditions), allows for faster/safer on-site erection, makes for an inviting interior work environment with minimal maintenance for the life of the project. These practical design choices reflect OCSD’s core values of “honesty, integrity and respect for interactions between employees, the greater public and community.
The plan of office wings framing a courtyard addresses the wellness of employees with daylight equity, views to nature and reduces energy consumption contributing to achieving NZE. The focus on wellness continues with the incorporation of attractive day-lit stairs, the selection of healthy materials and building systems that enhance indoor air quality to improve employee and visitor health.
OCSD is committed to their public. The Board Room welcomes public participation and invites other community meetings. The lobby houses exhibits for public tour groups ranging from young children enthralled with poop, to students interested in engineering and public health, and operators of sanitation facilities from around the world. This resilient, high performance Administrative Headquarters is a catalytic project in the redevelopment of the 162 acres neighborhood of Fountain Valley. The site that was previously a tilt-up warehouse with 97% impervious surfaces has been transformed to provide 300% more landscape/plaza area with native plant materials to grow the community events, tours and education that are part of OCSD’s culture.