In August, we attended a celebratory groundbreaking for Sustainability Base, a collaborative support facility at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. “We have designed this project to go beyond Platinum” and set new benchmarks for federal and NASA facilities. “When we started the design of ‘Sustainability Base’ with NASA, we were inspired by the statement ‘as only NASA can’,” says Kevin Burke, our design partner on the project. “It was clear that this was an opportunity to give form to the spirit of this phenomenal organization. Working with a wonderful team of collaborators, we’ve created a design that will combine the highest possible technical performance with wonderful experiences for the NASA community. This integrated design approach optimizes systems–air, light, water, energy, materials–in order to create a great place to work, supporting productivity and nurturing community and connectivity.”
“This new building represents NASA’s commitment to sustainability and improving the quality of life on the planet. Given the incorporation of the very latest NASA technologies, I like to think of it as the first lunar outpost on Earth.” Associate Director, Steve Zornetzer, notes that “When the Apollo astronauts looked back and saw the Earth, it was such an astounding image that it served as a touchstone for the whole environmental movement. In the spirit of what’s best for our country, we decided to focus on constructing the most energy-efficient building possible.”