435 Indio Way, Sunnyvale, Calif.
Retrofit Team
Architect: RMW Architecture, San Francisco
General contractor: Hillhouse Construction, San Jose, Calif.
Developer: Sharp Development, Sonora, Calif., (209) 588-2755
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing firm: The Integral Group, San Jose
Materials
Almost 2,000 square feet of Dynamic Glass was installed in fixed and operable windows and in the storefront lobby doors. The electrochromic windows wrap 40 percent of the building’s high-performance thermal envelope. The energy-efficient glass tints automatically in response to outside conditions and user preference, reducing glare and providing annual energy savings of 90 percent compared to traditional office buildings.
EcoTes 2-inch framing system manufacturer: Northern Star Technologies
Dynamic Glass manufacturer: View Inc.
The Retrofit
A coordinated effort between seven forward-thinking companies revitalized a 31,759-square-foot, low-rise commercial building from the 1970s into a cutting-edge, sustainable workplace. The original tilt-up structure from the industrial era was retrofitted to achieve nearly net-zero status by combining the latest clean technologies with existing passive engineering systems.
The roof hosts photovoltaic panels and 64 skylights. These installations also help create an interior environment offering ample natural daylight and improved thermal comfort, boosting the mood, productivity and wellbeing of building occupants. The building also features late-night automated natural cooling, occupant-tracking LED lighting, and Internet-based automation that allows the building’s sensor networks to track and correct its performance. These technologies work together to control the light, airflow and temperature of the building from a central cloudbased management system.
Once an unremarkable and ignored property, 435 Indio Way’s upgrade exceeded state energy-efficiency code and resulted in an above-market lease rate and bidding war among companies seeking to become the first tenant. The project is a testament to how architects, designers and energy experts can work together to realize a single vision of what a desirable workplace should be.