| In concert with new adjacent retail and residential components, the Government Center was designed to be part of this new neighborhood and grounded in the local topography. The center consists of a 56,000-sq.-ft. city hall, a 28,000-sq.-ft. library, a 30,000-sq.-ft. sheriff’s facility, and a 15,000-sq.-ft. fire department. All these elements are choreographed around a central plaza that changes with the seasons.
In creating a 'civic heart' where none existed before, the landscape materials of native plants and oaks begin to tell the history of the place. As a visitor arrives at the portal, a welcoming wall of water cools the entry and acts as an acoustical escort from the noise of the city to the quiet of the interior spaces.
In collaborative design workshops with the community, a local history and environmental narrative was created to tie this Civic Center to its specific place and community. The native landscape materials not only save water, but tie the complex to the region. The natural stone accents are profiled to announce the entries on the building and are an abstraction of the surrounding hills, which are visible from the site.
The design is completed with a comfortable palette of interior materials and accented with furnishings chosen to support the different uses: ergonomic efficiency in the offices and fun and creativity in the library.
While the client choose not to pursue a LEED rating, the design team focused on sustainable features that created a business case where less energy, less water and a healthy indoor environment was created using the following sustainability features:
• Building facades demonstrate solar strategies based on orientation and coupled with Low-E glass, R-30 roof insulation, efficient exterior skin and a cool roof make an envelope 20% better than T-24. The project received Savings by Design incentives further proving the business case to the client of sustainability.
• Water efficiently measures save 30% of portable water from baseline design.
• The native and drought tolerance planting material and drip irrigation reduces irrigation requirements by 60%.
• At the project’s front door a precast concrete cistern waters the plaza trees via captured City Hall roof rain water demonstrating the projects water conservation measures.
• Stormwater Management meets LEED 4.1 and 4.2 requirements.
• A healthy indoor environment promoted by the use of low VOC materials throughout and IAQ measures used during construction.
• Daylighting used extensively with lighting controls in all occupied spaces.
• All furnishings selected are Greenguard indoor air quality certified.
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