Molecular Foundry

Building Technologies Database (http://eere.buildinggreen.com/overview.cfm?projectid=817) on 2009-06-06. Please confirm that the import was successful, login, and remove this message. Help make the Green Building Brain better.**

Overview

• Location: Berkeley, CA
• Building type(s): Commercial office, Laboratory
• New construction
• 94,500 sq. feet (8,780 sq. meters)
• Project scope: 6-story building
• Suburban setting
• Completed March 2006

• Rating: U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1--Level: Gold (39 points)

The Molecular Foundry, owned by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), is a state-of-the art user laboratory for nanoscale materials research. The facility is one of five U.S. Department of Energy Nanoscale Science Research Centers, and the only one on the west coast.

The building is a simple rectangular form with the long axis oriented from east to west. The primary mass of the building emerges from a slopping hillside between two adjacent buildings, taking advantage of views of San Francisco Bay. The building includes offices, interaction areas, and laboratories. Outdoor spaces include terraces on the north and south of the building.

Environmental Aspects

The building is located on a previously disturbed site accessible by public transportation. The project team minimized site disturbance during construction and selected drought-tolerant plantings and an efficient irrigation system. Other water-saving features include waterless urinals, low-flow faucets and showerheads, a closed-loop laboratory-equipment process cooling water system, and an electromagnetic water-treatment system on the cooling tower.

The building was anticipated to use 35% less energy than a comparable building designed in minimal compliance with ASHRAE Standard 90.1. Energy-efficient features include a high-performance building envelope, low-emissivity glazing, extensive daylighting, efficient electric lighting, variable-air-volume systems, nighttime setbacks for mechanical and electrical systems, occupancy-based controls, and operable windows in some areas.

The project team preferred durable, low-maintenance, and regionally sourced materials as well as those with renewable content, recycled content, and low chemical emissions. In addition, sustainably harvested wood was used in much of the building. The team also minimized the use of materials and designed the spaces to be easily adaptable to evolving needs.

The building's narrow footprint and southern orientation, combined with extensive glazing, interior glazed partitions, and open layouts, allow for daylight and views in much of the building. Solar, topographic, and visual orientation played a central role in determining the arrangement of the building's program.

Owner & Occupancy

• Owned and occupied by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Federal government

• Typically occupied by 140 people

Building Programs

Indoor Spaces:	Laboratory (52%), Office, Restrooms, Circulation
Outdoor Spaces:	Restored landscape

Keywords

Integrated team, Design charrette, Green framework, Simulation, Green specifications, Commissioning, Performance measurement and verification, Transportation benefits, Indigenous vegetation, Efficient fixtures and appliances, Efficient irrigation, Drought-tolerant landscaping, Massing and orientation, Glazing, Passive solar, HVAC, Efficient lighting, Adaptable design, Durability, Benign materials, Recycled materials, Local materials, Certified wood, C&D waste management, Occupant recycling, Connection to outdoors, Daylighting, Natural ventilation, Noise control, Low-emitting materials

Team & Process

The project posed several design challenges, including the site's significant slope and the need for extremely low-vibration and acoustically quiet environments with low electromagnetic interference levels.

An integrated, multidisciplinary approach was the impetus behind the design. LBNL’s involvement in environmental and energy research naturally predicated that the facility would become a model for green building design. The LEED Rating System and the Labs21 Environmental Performance Criteria drove environmental goals, with a LEED Gold rating being the ultimate target for the building.

Environmental responsibility guided the project’s development from conceptual design to contractor selection, with all major project stakeholders participating in the process. A number of green charrettes established environmental goals. Life-cycle cost analysis and energy modeling determined the most suitable energy-conservation strategies. The team generated a green design report, which evolved throughout the design process to become a flexible tool to help incorporate appropriate green features.

The design team worked to balance a desire for environmentally responsible products and strategies with feasibility and functional appropriateness. The team worked with LBNL researchers to identify green products that would be durable enough for a laboratory environment. Researchers tested samples of flooring and laboratory countertop surfaces with the chemicals they use. A phenolic resin material was selected for countertops not only because it is an environmentally preferable product but also because it performed better than tested epoxy materials. Linoleum flooring was also tested but did not perform well for the laboratory environment.

Another important aspect addressed during design was laboratory safety, which can conflict with the goal of energy efficiency. High air-exchange rates in the laboratory spaces require greater fan power to move the air as well as greater energy use in the mechanical system to cool or heat the replacement air. By including variable-volume fume hoods and laboratory room pressure controls, however, the team maintained safety while minimizing energy use.

Extensive, independent third-party commissioning ensured that the facility was operating properly, that intended system efficiencies had been achieved, and that building operators had been properly trained.

A Web-based management system allows facilities staff to monitor and control the building's water and energy systems via three gas meters, nine water meters, and thousands of monitoring and control points. Permanent metering is provided for lab power loads. LBNL plans to analyze the facility's operations and use the information to help set goals for future facilities.

[Irene Monis, AIA, LEED AP](learnmore.cfm?ProjectID=817) SmithGroup Architect (Project architect, Sustainable design) San Francisco, CA [http://www.smithgroup.com/](http://www.smithgroup.com/)

Roxanne Malek SmithGroup Interior designer San Francisco, CA [http://www.smithgroup.com](http://www.smithgroup.com)

Jim Krupnick Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Owner/developer Berkeley, CA [http://www.lbl.gov](http://www.lbl.gov)

Bill Diefenbach SmithGroup Principal in Charge (Vice President) San Francisco, CA [http://www.smithgroup.com/](http://www.smithgroup.com/)

Suzanne Napier SmithGroup Project manager San Francisco, CA [http://www.smithgroup.com/](http://www.smithgroup.com/)

Lise Barriere SmithGroup Project designer San Francisco, CA [http://www.smithgroup.com/](http://www.smithgroup.com/)

Pak Yim Gayner Engineers MEP Engineer San Francisco, CA [http://www.gaynerengineers.com](http://www.gaynerengineers.com)

C. Mark Saunders Rutherford & Chekene Structural and civil engineer San Francisco, CA [http://www.ruthchek.com](http://www.ruthchek.com)

Martyn Dodd EnergySoft, LLC Energy consultant Novato, CA [http://www.energysoft.com](http://www.energysoft.com)

Ron Smits Affiliated Engineers, Inc. Lighting designer Walnut Creek, CA [http://www.aeieng.com](http://www.aeieng.com)

Paul Buchanan Peter Walker and Partners Landscape architect Berkeley, CA [http://www.pwpla.com](http://www.pwpla.com)

Karl Stum CH2M Hill Commissioning agent Portland, OR [http://www.ch2m.com](http://www.ch2m.com)

Albert Lee Rudolph and Sletten Contractor Redwood City, CA [http://www.rsconst.com](http://www.rsconst.com)

Finance & Cost

While the design and construction of the building cost $52 million, equipment brought the total cost to $85 million.

• Equity: Government appropriation

Cost data in U.S. dollars as of date of completion.

• Total project cost (land excluded): $52,000,000

Life-cycle cost analysis, right-sizing, and value engineering kept the project within budget.

• The project team evaluated ten energy-conservation measures through a life-cycle cost analysis and selected the most appropriate strategy based on life-cycle cost as well as environmental stewardship.

• Right-sizing reduced the size of the mechanical equipment and utility plant by 30%. As a result of discussions about how much of the building’s electrical load would be critical, the project team reduced the size of the emergency generator and the amount of fuel storage by 20%.

• Initially, the team had planned a parking lot for the roof of the utility plant. With the reduction of the plant, however, the team eliminated the parking area. In addition to the mechanical savings, value-engineering the parking area resulted in environmental benefits and saved $600,000. Instead, LBNL strengthened public transportation and carpooling programs, and the project team restored the intended parking area with native grasses.

Land Use & Community

Bike racks and changing and shower facilities at the Foundry can serve 5% of building occupants. LBNL also offers several public-transportation incentive programs. A program called WageWorks allows staff to buy pretax transit passes, and a program called RideShare promotes carpooling.

The LBNL campus is served by two shuttle lines that connect the Foundry to the Bay Area Rapid Transit system and the East Bay bus system. Gasoline use by staff is also reduced by the use of alternative-fuel vehicles within the campus. A 4,000-gallon ethanol fuel tank on campus serves shuttles and the alternative-fuel vehicles.

A preexisting 14-space parking lot was demolished and incorporated into the building footprint. LBNL later added 15 parking spaces for the building; because 14 spaces had been eliminated, however, the project has only one net additional space. This addition is well below the City of Berkeley zoning requirements, and LBNL does not have its own parking requirement policies. To encourage the use of alternative transportation, the project team has reserved four parking spaces for carpool vehicles.

• Property Evaluation

  • Assess property for integration with local community and regional transportation corridors

• Support for Appropriate Transportation

  • Provide showers and changing areas for bicycle and pedestrian commuters

  • Provide storage area for bicycles
  • Provide access to public transportation
  • Provide vehicle access to support car and vanpooling
  • Provide incentives for non-automobile commuting options

• Property Selection Opportunities

  • Select already-developed sites for new development

Site Description

The building is located on a previously disturbed site. The project team restored 90% of the open site area with native grasses and wildflowers and landscaped the remaining 10% with drought-resistant plants. The LBNL campus is home to an abundance of indigenous plants and wildlife.

About 30% of the project's non-roof hardscape areas are either shaded or paved with reflective materials, reducing the project's contribution to the urban heat-island effect. The two outdoor terraces are landscaped with a combination of reflective pavement and planted material.

To minimize the project's impact on the nocturnal environment, the team designed both exterior and interior lighting to protect the night sky from light pollution.

The project team worked during construction to minimize site disturbance and protect the existing landscape. The design team and the general contractor identified appropriate staging and storage areas and established protocols to protect and relocate existing trees. Accommodating the new structure required excavating about 70 feet on the eastern end of the hill, and the slope of the hillside made erosion a chief concern, especially during the rainy season. The project team followed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for erosion and sedimentation control. All excavated soil was later used as infill soil. The site protection and restoration measures implemented in this project will serve as a model for future LBNL projects.

• Lot size: 2.50 acres
• Previously developed land

Water Conservation and Use

Thanks to the use of waterless urinals, low-flow lavatory and kitchen faucets, and low-flow showerheads, the facility was anticipated to use 32% less potable water than a comparable conventional building. These savings exclude process-water savings.

A combination of strategies reduce process-water use: a closed-loop laboratory-equipment process cooling water system is used in lieu of a once-through system, and vacuum systems are used in lieu of water aspirators.

The region experiences a long dry season, with no rainfall between May and October, making irrigation efficiency particularly important. About 90% of the site was landscaped with native grasses and wildflowers that require no irrigation. The remaining 10% of the site was landscaped with drought-resistant plants and equipped with an irrigation system that reduces water consumption by 60%, relative to a conventional system.

• Development Impacts

  • Limit parking area

• Waterless Fixtures

  • Specify waterless urinals

• Landscape Plantings

  • Landscape with indigenous vegetation
  • Minimize turf area

• Low-Water-Use Fixtures

  • Install showerheads using less than 2.2 gallons per minute

• Construction Impacts

  • Minimize soil erosion from construction activities

• Demand for Irrigation

  • Select plants for drought tolerance

• Integration with Site Resources

  • Use light-colored pavement to reduce heat island effect

• Irrigation Systems

  • Use water-efficient irrigation fixtures

• Site Planning

  • Site buildings so as to help occupants celebrate the natural beauty

Energy

The building was modeled to be 28% more energy efficient than required by California's Title 24 energy code, or 35% more efficient than required by ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1999.

The project team began with a number of passive-solar strategies, including a building orientation with the long façades facing north and south; low-emissivity-coated, fritted glazing; sunshades on the south façade; and a high-performance envelope.

The project also incorporates a range of mechanical and electrical efficiency strategies. Laboratory facilities are generally highly energy intensive due to the need to provide one-pass ventilation systems and high air-change rates to protect occupants from exposure to hazardous chemicals. This facility reduces energy use through a high-efficiency boiler and chiller plant; premium-efficiency motors; state-of-the-art variable-air-volume systems; operational practices such as nighttime setbacks of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems; and ongoing utility-trend analysis.

Electrical loads in three other campus laboratories were measured by submetering the lab spaces to obtain a more accurate characterization of end-use loads. This practice reduced plug loads by 40%. Other strategies that reduced the project's energy consumption include the use of T-5 fluorescent lamps in lighting systems with bi-level switching; occupancy-based controls in the offices, conference room, and bathrooms; and electronic filters rather than conventional bag filters for lower pressure drop.

A standby generator provides power to life-safety devices, including emergency exit lighting, as well as to selected mechanical and lab equipment.

 

Materials & Resources

The project team selected durable and low-maintenance materials to minimize life-cycle environmental impacts. Materials were minimized and, where possible, eliminated from the design. Selected lobby areas have sealed concrete flooring instead of a floorcovering, for example, and utilities run exposed along the main corridors, as no suspended ceilings were installed in these areas.

The team also preferred materials with renewable content, recycled content, and low chemical emissions as well as wood certified to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. Exterior materials include cast-in-place concrete and metal panels with a high percentage of recycled aluminum. About 40% of the skin system was made of regionally extracted and manufactured concrete. All concrete formwork and construction lumber was either salvaged or FSC-certified.

Interior materials include renewable products—such as bamboo, which was used in lobbies and interaction areas—and materials with high recycled content—including ceramic tile, rubber, and carpeting. Paints with no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were favored. By cost, 60% of the wood used in the project was FSC-certified. The team installed countertops made with phenolic resin and casework with recycled metal.

All interaction and kitchen areas include recycling bins, and the loading dock houses a central collection area for recyclable materials.

The project team implemented a comprehensive construction waste management plan. As a result, about 85% of construction waste, by weight, was recycled instead of being disposed of in landfills.

• Bamboo Flooring
• Bamboo Paneling, Plywood, and Veneer
• Efficient, Machine-Room-Less Elevator
• FSC-Certified Particle Core and Stave Core Doors

Long-term durability, flexibility, and adaptability were designed into the building. High-quality, low-maintenance materials, such as the steel frame, aluminum panels, and cast-in-place concrete, will enable the building to have a considerably longer service life than conventional speculative buildings.

Because nanotechnology is an emerging field of study, LBNL researchers often design and fabricate their own tools, and specific tool requirements will change over time. To accommodate evolving needs, the team designed the laboratories as flexible modules, often with no fixed casework. Cable trays and overhead service carriers route utilities, eliminating the need for fixed vertical umbilicals. The team built spare capacity into cable trays and overhead service carriers to accommodate future needs. Modular, easy-to-reassemble furnishings and movable tables furnish open office areas.

• Reusable Components

  • Use materials with integral finish

• Design for Materials Use Reduction

  • Consider the use of structural materials that do not require application of finish layers

• Job Site Recycling

  • Investigate local infrastructure for recycling
  • Use reusable forms

• Recycling by Occupants

  • Specify recycling receptacles that are accessible to the occupants

• Pre-Consumer Recycled Materials

  • Specify aluminum products made from high levels of recycled scrap

• Materials and Wildlife Habitat

  • Specify bamboo flooring instead of hardwood

  • Use wood products from independently certified, well-managed forests for finish carpentry

Indoor Environment

The design connects the indoor environment to the outdoors by providing daylighting, views, and fresh air where program requirements permit them. The design module is only 25 feet deep, and the façade includes tall windows. The arrangement of the laboratories across a double-loaded corridor spanning the building's long east-west axis allows for effective use of natural light.

Openings between the occupied spaces and the corridors provide sequenced views and daylighting even in the core of the building. Building codes require that fire partitions separate laboratories from corridors, offices, interaction rooms, and stairs, but the project incorporates rated glazed partitions and fire shutters to help create an open interior environment, where labs, offices, interaction rooms, and exit stairs are all interconnected. These strategies allow daylight to flow within the interior, creating connections by which the outdoors can be experienced from virtually every interior space.

Although building codes do not allow natural ventilation in laboratory spaces, this building provides operable windows in all private offices and interaction rooms. Individual thermostat controls were installed in private offices, open labs, and conference rooms.

The design team worked with the contractor during the construction process to protect indoor environmental quality. The team reviewed the construction schedule to identify problems that could arise from the sequence of materials installation. Often with a compressed construction schedule, the contractor needs to install interior partitions before the building is enclosed. The resulting exposure to moisture may allow for the growth of mold and mildew on gypsum board. In this project, the team used fiberglass-faced gypsum board in lieu of conventional gypsum board in those vulnerable locations. The initial cost premium for the switch was offset by the reduced risk of future mold mitigation.

• Thermal Comfort

  • Provide occupants with the means to control temperature in their area

• Visual Comfort and The Building Envelope

  • Orient the floor plan on an east-west axis for best control of daylighting

  • Use large exterior windows and high ceilings to increase daylighting

• Visual Comfort and Interior Design

  • Design open floor plans to allow exterior daylight to penetrate to the interior

• Acoustics and Outdoor Noise

  • Consider exterior noise when designing for operable windows

• Ventilation and Filtration Systems

  • Provide occupants with access to operable windows

• Identification of Indoor Pollutants

  • Procure green-label-certified carpet

• Reduction of Indoor Pollutants

  • Use only very low or no-VOC paints

• Building Commissioning for IEQ

  • Use a comprehensive commissioning process to ensure that design intent is realized

• Facility Policies for IEQ

  • Recommend a non-smoking policy for the building

Awards

• Savings by Design in 2007;  Category/title: Award of Citation

• Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) Beyond Green High Performance Building Awards Program in 2007;  Category/title: High Performance Buildings, First Place

• Federal Energy Saver Showcase Facility in 2006
• AIA East Bay in 2007;  Category/title: Merit Award

Ratings

• U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1 in 2007;  achievement level: Gold (39 points)

  • Sustainable Sites, 7 of 14 possible points

    • SS Prerequisite 1, Erosion & Sedimentation Control
    • SS Credit 1, Site Selection

    • SS Credit 4.1, Alternative Transportation, Public Transportation Access

    • SS Credit 4.2, Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms

    • SS Credit 4.3, Alternative Transportation, Alternative Fuel Refueling Stations

    • SS Credit 4.4, Alternative Transportation, Parking Capacity

    • SS Credit 5.1, Reduced Site Disturbance, Protect or Restore Open Space

    • SS Credit 5.2, Reduced Site Disturbance, Development Footprint

  • Water Efficiency, 3 of 5 possible points

    • WE Credit 1.1, Water Efficient Landscaping, Reduce by 50%
    • WE Credit 3.1, Water Use Reduction, 20% Reduction
    • WE Credit 3.2, Water Use Reduction, 30% Reduction

  • Energy and Atmosphere, 9 of 17 possible points

    • EA Prerequisite 1, Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning
    • EA Prerequisite 2, Minimum Energy Performance
    • EA Prerequisite 3, CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment

    • EA Credit 1.1a, Optimize Energy Performance, 15% New 5% Existing

    • EA Credit 1.1b, Optimize Energy Performance, 20% New 10% Existing

    • EA Credit 1.2a, Optimize Energy Performance, 25% New 15% Existing

    • EA Credit 1.2b, Optimize Energy Performance, 30% New 20% Existing

    • EA Credit 1.3a, Optimize Energy Performance, 35% New 25% Existing

    • EA Credit 1.3b, Optimize Energy Performance, 40% New 30% Existing

    • EA Credit 3, Additional Commissioning
    • EA Credit 4, Ozone Depletion
    • EA Credit 6, Green Power

  • Materials and Resources, 6 of 13 possible points

    • MR Prerequisite 1, Storage & Collection of Recyclables
    • MR Credit 2.1, Construction Waste Management, Divert 50%
    • MR Credit 2.2, Construction Waste Management, Divert 75%

    • MR Credit 4.1, Recycled Content: 5% (post-consumer + 1/2 post-industrial)

    • MR Credit 4.2, Recycled Content: 10% (post-consumer + 1/2 post-industrial)

    • MR Credit 5.1, Local/Regional Materials, 20% Manufactured Locally

    • MR Credit 7, Certified Wood

  • Indoor Environmental Quality, 9 of 15 possible points

    • EQ Prerequisite 1, Minimum IAQ Performance
    • EQ Prerequisite 2, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
    • EQ Credit 1, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Monitoring

    • EQ Credit 3.1, Construction IAQ Management Plan, During Construction

    • EQ Credit 3.2, Construction IAQ Management Plan, Before Occupancy

    • EQ Credit 4.1, Low-Emitting Materials, Adhesives & Sealants
    • EQ Credit 4.2, Low-Emitting Materials, Paints
    • EQ Credit 4.3, Low-Emitting Materials, Carpet
    • EQ Credit 4.4, Low-Emitting Materials, Composite Wood
    • EQ Credit 7.1, Thermal Comfort, Comply with ASHRAE 55-1992
    • EQ Credit 7.2, Thermal Comfort, Permanent Monitoring System

  • Innovation and Design Process, 5 of 5 possible points

    • ID Credit 1.1, Innovation in Design "Electronic Water Treatment System"

    • ID Credit 1.2, Innovation in Design "Labs 21 Credit 9.2: Indoor Environmental Safety"

    • ID Credit 1.3, Innovation in Design "Labs 21 Credit 9.1: Safety and Risk Management"

    • ID Credit 1.4, Innovation in Design "Labs 21 Credit 9.2: Safety and Risk Management"

    • ID Credit 2, LEED® Accredited Professional

Learn More

Irene Monis (Tour Contact) SmithGroup 225 Bush Street, 11th floor San Francisco, CA  94104 415-365-3466 [http://www.smithgroup.com/](http://www.smithgroup.com/)

• Magazines

  • Doing Small Things in a Big Way: A National Cutting-Edge Laboratory for Nanotechnology Research by Wilson, Alex
    Publication: GreenSource (April 2007)
    This article, published in GreenSource magazine, focuses on the project's green features. http://greensource.construction.com/projects/0704_molecularfoundry.asp

• Web sites

  • Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry Receives LEED Gold Certification
    Publication: Facilities Management News (October 24, 2007)
    This article describes the building's green features and announces its LEED certification.

  • Molecular Foundry Receives LEED Gold Certification
    In addition to announcing the project's LEED certification, this press release from LBNL provides an overview of the building's green features.

• Others

  • PDF: Molecular Foundry: Berkeley, California
    Publication: Laboratories for the 21st Century: Case Studies
    This eight-page case study, produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, provides a thorough explanation of the building's green features. (PDF 580 KB) Download Acrobat Reader

*Primary Contact* Irene Monis, AIA, LEED AP SmithGroup Architect (Project architect, Sustainable design) 225 Bush Street, 11th floor San Francisco, CA  94104 415-365-3466 [http://www.smithgroup.com/](http://www.smithgroup.com/)