Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced today that two of its customers – the Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center in Berkeley and the Shaklee Corporation in Pleasanton – have received the prestigious Savings By Design Energy Efficiency Integration Award for buildings that combine low energy-use strategies with award-winning design.
The award, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects California Council, and the state’s four investor-owned gas and electric utilities, honors design teams and their clients who successfully integrate beauty and efficiency, taking great building design beyond the minimum energy performance codes.
“One positive aspect of California’s energy crisis is that it has changed the way people think about energy use,” said Bev Alexander, Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s vice president over energy management programs. “Our customers have become keenly interested in any and every way to reduce their energy bill and ease the strain on the state’s electric grid. The styles and techniques being employed in new buildings to conserve energy today represent a revolution in the design industry that will benefit society for many decades to come.”
The Bay Area winners of the 2001 Savings By Design Energy Efficiency Integration Award are:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center in Berkeley: design by ELS of Berkeley; mechanical engineering by Arup, electrical engineering by TEE, and environmental consulting by Simon & Associates. This project won the Honor Award for best-integrated design. The renovation combines a historical structure with common sense items such as thermal mass, ceiling fans, and natural ventilation that over time will help keep energy costs down while providing a pleasant work environment.
Shaklee Corporation Headquarters in Pleasanton: design by Gensler San Francisco; mechanical/electrical/plumbing by Arup, additional mechanical engineering by Critchfield Mechanical, and electrical engineering by Rosendin Electric. This project was commended for its use of daylighting and the priority given to the comfort, health, and productivity of its occupants. It also received high marks for intelligent site orientation and proximity to public transportation, as well as its use of energy-efficient air distribution systems and sustainable building materials.
Two Southern California projects – the Ice Station in Valencia and the Isla Vista Elementary School in Goleta – also won awards for integrated design.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Savings By Design program was established to guide architects and builders as they utilize new technologies. The company offers expert advice, hands-on training and workshops for designers at its Pacific Energy Center in downtown San Francisco. Incentives are also available to offset the cost of designing and building commercial facilities that exceed state requirements for energy efficiency. The program is funded by ratepayers through the Public Purpose Program charge on customers’ utility bills. For more information about the Savings By Design program, visit www.savingsbydesign.com.
