From a broader perspective, the exterior design is intendedto elevate the building into Class A product relevant to a 21st century, biotech/life science world. By cleaning up the exterior with simpler lines, reducing black and white contrasts and minimizing textures, the new concept creates a contemporary brand from the street and entry.
The lobby is open and light-filled with large expanses of glass that connects all the way through the building to the canyon on the north side – metaphorically connecting man to nature.
On the south façade, vertical, perforated planes (or fins) are created in a binary pattern, giving reference to the binary address of the building (11010). Functionally, these planes ever-so-slightly, obscure the less pleasant view of the parking lot.
Additionally, these vertical planes reduce solar gain yet still allow substantial light and views from the interior of the building. A larger overhanging plane stretches horizontally across and the top of the building and connects vertically to the ground near the entry and Torreyana corner, creating a ‘picture frame’ as you approach the building site.
AVRPS has designed a training center for utility workers that is meant to be a prototype for similar projects that strive to net zero energy. The Center is designed to be LEED Gold certified, providing all its own energy and water or landscape irrigation. The training center totals 18,000 SF and is actually two separate structures, one is an L-shape and the other is a rectangle. The two structures come together creating a courtyard in the middle.
A special sustainable design feature is the use of solar panels not only on the roof but on the skin of the building on the east and west sides. They provide not only electricity but help shade the building when the sun is at its peak. The center has a total of 256 solar panels. In addition to training classrooms, the center includes a 1,000-sf outdoor gym on the ground level.
