Beyond Green
How do you know when a "green" building is truly green? When it adheres to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. Menlo Gateway seeks to achieve LEED Gold certification for its office buildings and LEED Silver certification for the hotel, which encompasses everything from ensuring a sustainable building site to certifying the design and construction process itself. Menlo Gateway addresses all categories of the LEED scorecard. Highlights include:
Sustainable Site
Site sustainability addresses site selection, transportation options, habitat and open space, stormwater control, heat island effects, and light pollution. Menlo Gateway will:
- Re-use existing industrial land and improve it.
- Encourage and support the use of alternate transportation, such as fuel-efficient vehicles and bicycles.
- Offer over nine acres of open space, as well as specify native and adaptive plantings.
- Capture rainwater and run-off on site, which will be used to irrigate landscaping and for water features integrated into the landscape design. Storm water will be filtered prior to returning to the San Francisco Bay.
- Mitigate heat island effects by shading more than 50% of parking and other hard surfaces with broadly spreading trees and using highly reflective and grid paving techniques.
- Incorporate highly reflective roof finishes and use roof space for energy generation.
- Meet IESNA lighting density and control standards for minimizing light pollution.
Water Efficiency
Water is California's scarcest resource, and Menlo Gateway will employ highly efficient water use and management techniques with the goal of reducing potable water needs by at least 30% when compared to projects of similar use and size. In order to achieve this goal, a variety of measures will be employed:
- Landscape watering will require 50% less water than traditional systems by using an efficient water delivery system and drought-resistant plantings.
- Rain catchment options will be incorporated across the site where feasible.
- Indoor potable water usage will be reduced through use of low-flow and waterless restroom toilets, lavatories, and sinks.
- Capturing and reusing laundry final rinse water will save water.
- Operational programs can reduce water loss from water features by covering pools, adjusting fountain operating hours, and using a water treatment approach that reduces the need for draw down and replacement.
Energy & Atmosphere
Menlo Gateway seeks to meet LEED requirements for energy management systems. These include avoiding the use of heating, refrigeration, and fire suppression systems that include chlorofluorocarbons or halon compounds. A photovoltaic (PV) system and electric car charging stations are under consideration and may be incorporated if determined to be financially feasible. In addition, the buildings will be oriented to maximize passive heating and cooling efficiency. High-performance building skins and glazing, as well as shaded east, south, and west facades, will control heat gain and reduce the demand for cooling.
The buildings and site energy usage is modeled at 23% better than California's current Title 24 energy code. In order to achieve this savings, an efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) solution is critical. Objectives include:
- Specification of high efficiency HVAC and lighting equipment
- Consideration for reducing dependence on fans to move air
- Development of strategies that maximize the capture of waste heat from domestic water and water features
- Application of natural ventilation where appropriate
Materials & Resources
A percentage of existing paving and concrete can be crushed and re-used as base material, and a high percentage of construction waste will be recycled or salvaged. New building materials will be specified for resource efficiency. For example, precut steel minimizes construction waste, and a high percentage of recycled content and finish materials will be used.
Indoor Environmental Quality
Low-emitting materials for interior finishes will improve indoor air quality, and user-controllable windows lighting, and temperature will enable better energy management while maximizing occupant comfort. HVAC systems will meet or exceed international standards for bringing in and filtering outside air. In addition, a CO2 and humidity monitoring system will track CO2 levels for improved indoor ventilation and comfort. Approximately 75% of regularly occupied interior spaces will include daylight and 90% will have views of the outside. Issues for consideration include:
- Delivery of air within the breathing zone
- Maximization of fresh air delivered to the space
- Control of radiant and latent heat loads
- Providing user control and interaction
Innovation & Design Process
Menlo Gateway intends to comply with LEED design innovation requirements specifically targeting green operations policies, such as environmentally preferable purchasing, green cleaning practices, and integrated pest management practices.
Learn More
Learn more about LEED requirements and Menlo Gateway design considerations: