In 1991, the conservation and sustainable elements of the two-story, 52,500-square-foot office building for Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) were considered groundbreaking. “Green” building design was only starting to enter the lexicon. Many of the building’s sustainable features — drought-tolerant planting, exterior shading, proper solar orientation, occupancy sensors, daylighting controls, thermal energy storage and a high-efficiency chilled-water system — were novel for the time. It was also one of the first facilities in the state to extensively use reclaimed water for HVAC, irrigation and flushing fixtures. The building surpassed California’s Title 24 standards by 50%, when many projects struggled to even meet the requirements.
From the start, IRWD wanted a building that would look better with age and require less maintenance and upkeep than a typical office building. The facility was intended to serve as a model for good design principles for the public and community. The sustainable design approach was expressed through the siting, orientation, fenestration and smart landscape, which combined good design and energy efficiency. The weatherable primary materials — sandstone, precast concrete, stainless steel and copper — were chosen to stand the test of time and project a sense of permanence, an important element for the public agency.
60th Anniversary Spotlight: Resilience Ahead of Its Time
The IRWD earned a 25-year award from the AIA-OC in 2015, in recognition of its early adoption of sustainable features and timeless design. Decades after the roof was left clear for the possibility of solar panels, photovoltaic cells were added to help provide the facility with clean energy.
