To represent San Mateo County’s progressive government, the Civic Center needed to go beyond typical sustainable design. The all-electric and mass timber building is targeting Net Zero Energy and LEED Platinum. Atelier Ten developed a natural ventilation system for carbon savings, resilience and COVID concerns.
Atelier Ten led the energy design, carbon design, thermal comfort and LEED for the project. The Civic Center design starts with ideal massing. An H-shaped plan creates full daylighting, self shading and natural ventilation access.
Atelier Ten conducted a passive thermal comfort study and façade analysis to determine the most comfortable, energy efficient, and cost effective approach to natural ventilation. Natural ventilation builds in a resiliency factor. With power outages becoming more frequent in the Bay Area, and the ongoing threat of COVID-19, the Civic Center can be safely occupied in emergencies.
The mass timber design reduces the building’s embodied carbon by 70% by using a cost-effective structural design and smart timber sourcing.
