Winners of ASHRAE’s 2019 LowDown Showdown modeling competition demonstrated both near energy net-zero attributes along with impressive resilience qualities.
The model building chosen was a 90,000 sf city hall (new construction) located in San Diego. This facility was designed to be a multi-functional building, housing many of the cities vital public services including an Emergency Operations Center during a disaster or crisis.
The facility could maintain operations for 14 days during a utility outage. It would support coordination of emergency responses while maintaining critical functions like prisoner life safety and security. The building can transition to a setback mode, minimizing energy consumption by relaxing thermal comfort targets. Building systems would draw energy from a 10,000 kWh battery system and a 427 KW PV array for power, and 10 kgal potable and 20 kgal non-potable water storage tanks.
The second-place team designed a new city hall with a three-story atrium to provide ample space for green walls, skylight, and natural breezes. The project included deployment of EnergyBox, an in-house web platform that speeds up design exploration by automating processes and encouraging collaboration by effective visualization.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | May 8, 2020
New NIBS report evaluates natural disaster mitigation strategies
Document examines strengthening buildings for flood, wind, wildfires, and earthquakes.
Codes and Standards | May 6, 2020
A few ways contractors can manage COVID-19 risks
Staggered start times, rigorous tool cleaning, virtual training among the strategies.
Codes and Standards | May 5, 2020
NAHB loses influence in 2021 IECC building code development
Despite objections from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the development of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is nearing conclusion. NAHB objected to several more stringent energy efficiency provisions.
Codes and Standards | May 5, 2020
2020 IECC will lead to significant carbon emissions reductions
New model building code nearly finalized.
Codes and Standards | May 4, 2020
New York expands prevailing wage law
Now includes private projects with 30% or more of public subsidies.
Codes and Standards | May 1, 2020
OSHA says most employers don’t have to track worker COVID-19 infections
Agency clarifies responsibility for contractors, others.
Codes and Standards | Apr 29, 2020
New York City tightens restrictions on construction during pandemic
Dept. of Buildings has issued more than 100 violations and stop-work orders.
Codes and Standards | Apr 28, 2020
ASHRAE, WELL panels to tackle revising standards to limit spread of viruses in buildings
Will examine ways to reduce infectious threats through building designs and operations.
Codes and Standards | Apr 24, 2020
Dept. of Labor issues guidance for respiratory protection during N95 shortage
Elastomeric respirators or powered, air-purifying respirators, and expired N95s are allowable alternatives
Codes and Standards | Apr 23, 2020
Group will create ecosystem for smart building data
Seven Finnish companies aim to integrate all technical systems into a single platform.