Lawrence Berkeley Nat. Lab., Molecular Foundry

• About 85 percent of all building construction waste was recycled. Almost all wood used was sustainably harvested as cer¬tified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Rapid¬ly growing renewable materials, such as bamboo flooring in the lobby and interaction spaces, are among the sustainable building practices.

• The Foundry’s six stories minimize the building’s footprint, and more than 50 percent of the site is landscaped with native plants.

• Prior to constructing the Molecular Foundry, Berkeley Lab measured electrical loads in three campus labs to obtain an accurate characterization of end-use loads. Mechanical and electrical systems in the Foundry’s labs were originally designed for 25 Watts per square foot. This was reduced to 15 Watts per square foot after the monitoring results were evaluated, saving more than $2 million in construction costs alone.

• The Molecular Foundry boasts good access to public transportation, and Berkeley Lab’s biodiesel-powered shuttle system minimizes car travel around the 100-building campus. Bike racks and showers are also available.

• Wind tunnel modeling of the Molecular Foundry and adjacent buildings was used to determine air exhaust and intake locations.

• An electromagnetic water treatment system on the cooling towers reduces total water consumption and the amount of chemicals released to the atmosphere and the sewer.

• Indoor air quality elements include carbon dioxide monitoring and control of outside air for ventila¬tion, clean construction and commissioning practices of the ventilation systems, and use of materials that have low VOC (volatile organic compound) content and low VOC emissions.