The new town center weaves together oak woodlands, playing fields, and new buildings into a civic center that meets the town’s goals to compliment the natural beauty of the landscape in the greenest way possible. The seismically unsafe, old town center was deconstructed; materials from the buildings were reused as beams, paneling, countertops, and structural fill. The new buildings are 20% smaller. The exterior siding and louvers are salvaged wood, and the wood flooring is local eucalyptus. The concrete mix is 70% slag. These and other measures reduced construction carbon emissions by 32%. Proper building orientation, daylighting, natural ventilation, sunshades, and thermal mass reduced overall energy use and allowed for smaller mechanical systems. Small, efficient air-conditioning units pre-cool make-up air and eliminate the need for full air conditioning. The 76 kW photovoltaic system supplies 40% of the electricity used by the building; nonrenewable energy costs are reduced by 51% and operating carbon is reduced by 76.2 tons per year. A section of buried creek, now exposed to daylight, defines the fourth side of the town center courtyard. The abandoned culvert will become a cistern for storing 40,000 gallons of rainwater. (via The American Institute of Architects :: Top Ten Green Projects)
