NIBS Building Innovation Conference & Expo

The American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) mission is “to promote discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity.” In 2015, recognizing their headquarters needed a major renovation, AGU decided to lead by example: they developed a scientific approach to evolve their facility into an influential net-zero building within a tight urban footprint.

The team will present this approach next week at the 2018 Building Innovation Conference in Washington, DC. The panel will discuss several revolutionary designs essential to the building’s transformation, including:

• Solar rooftop photovoltaic array for on-site renewable energy;
• Municipal sewer heat exchange system to recover thermal energy;
• Green wall to improve indoor air quality;
• Water cistern to collect rainwater, as well as condensate water from outdoor air system, for low-flow toilets and on-site irrigation;
• Direct Current (DC) electrified grid with DC LED lighting;
• Radiant cooling system that uses less energy than a traditional forced-air system;
• Enhanced building envelope insulation, dynamic glass shading and triple-pane glazing; and
• Other performance strategies AGU believes their project will communicate its message of scientific advancement to a larger audience.

By elevating their workplace to a net-zero environment, and developing a renovation strategy that can be replicated. AGU continues to draw the public’s focus to scientific advancement and the critical role it plays in the world around us.

Chris McEntee, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, American Geophysical Union
Guilherme Almeida, Associate, Hickok Cole Architects
Joe DiIenno, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Associate, Interface Engineering

WHEN: Wednesday, January 10th | 1:45 pm – 3:15 pm
WHERE: Mandarin Oriental | Washington, DC
REGISTRATION: http://bit.ly/2hAdYIi