The Phoenix office is the largest building in the world and only the second in the US to achieve NZEB certification to date. In addition to that the facility has also achieved LEED NC Platinum certification.
Transforming the remains of a 1972 abandoned retail boutique, the Phoenix Regional office has been designed by architectural firm SmithGroupJJR as a living lab for the Arizona community. Located in Phoenix’s Discovery Triangle at the corner of 44th Street and Van Buren, the renovated Phoenix Regional office consists of 16,533 square feet of space.
The Phoenix Regional office includes various sustainable features in its design, which includes 87 operable windows working in tandem with the energy monitoring system to open and close based on the relative indoor and outdoor temperatures; 87-foot zinc clad solar chimney which creates a convection current to release hot air out of the building while drawing cooler air in; shower towers that act as evaporative coolers by working together with the operable windows; and solar chimney to regulate building temperatures.
The other sustainable features of the building includes 12 eight-foot Isis Big Ass fans that enable free air flow within the office; 82 strategically positioned solatubes that nearly eliminate the need for artificial daytime lighting; online building dashboard to track the energy production of its 78.96 kW DC photovoltaic system and energy consumption of the building; and a “vampire” shut-off switch to thwart any electrical devices – microwaves, cellphone chargers, radios – that draw energy from power plugs when there are no occupants in the building.
The facility has been designed with a large open interior, which encourages creativity and collaboration using only glass walls, plyboo-slat walls and plantings to mark conference and meeting areas. An onsite gym, two green-screened courtyards, and a café/wine bar are few additional facilities for employees.
Architectural practice SmithGroupJJR and global consulting firm DNV KEMA Energy and Sustainability, researched, designed, permitted, and built the Phoenix Regional office.
