Our March Green Building Tour - San Jose City Hall, A study in California Green Buildings

Welcome to the California Green Buildings Blog

With the significant victory of "An Inconvenient Truth" we at California Green Buildings congratulate all involved in the production and distribution of that great film and to Vice President Gore for the inspiration that he displayed in the movie and at the Academy Awards.

For 2007, the California Green Buildings Blog plans to highlight a green California building that has been in use for at least two years. We make exceptions, particularly when the new Federal Building in San Francisco opens . . .

For the month of March we are highlighting another public building, the San Jose City Hall.

Sustainability has been a goal of this new complex since conceptual design began in early 1999. In addition, the new City Hall complex is meant to be a public space and community meeting place, with meeting rooms available for public use. This photo shows a partially completed meeting room located in the Tower Building, looking northeast. Daylighting has been particularly emphasized in this project, with large areas of glazing, shading devices and skylights.
Tower Building Meeting Room

The Tower building in the complex includes solar shading facade to maximize daylighting for interior office space yet minimizing solar heat gain. One of the goals of this project has been to incorporate as many green building features as feasible. This photo shows a view of the tower building on the left and the facade to the right, looking south. Notice the exterior balconies that allow access to the outside. Other features include operable windows for ventilation.
View looking south across face of Tower building

The Complex consists of three buildings: 1) the Tower Building, 2) the domed Assembly Building, and 3) the Council Building. The Tower Building will house the Mayor's office, city departments and provide public access to city services. The Assembly building consists of meeting space, including a glass dome that will house a large assembly hall. This view if from the Tower Building, looking down on the Assembly building, the plaza under construction and East Santa Clara Street in downtown San Jose.
Overview of site, with East Santa Clara Street on the right

Other green features of this project include

• high performance gazing (exceeds T-24)
• orientation along east-west axis minimizes solar gain
• sunshading on glazing
• high insulation facade (exceeds T-24)
• detailing, weather stripping and sealing of the envelope to prevent convective losses

This photo provides a closeup of Solar Shading Facade

Officially known as "The Rotunda," its was developed to maximize natural lighting and enhance the architectural quality of this major public space. Envisioned to provide space for large public speaking venues such as the State of the City Address, the Rotunda is designed to spill out onto the plaza and will add to the downtown San Jose event space. This photo shows the steel structure that is currently being set in place.

Viewed from above, showing layout of complex, with Council building on left, Rotunda in the center, and East Santa Clara Street on the right. The Council building will include retail shops. The complex is on major transportation routes and includes new public landscaping to facilitate the access and use of the site.

Looking down on the construction site. This photo provides an interior view of the Tower building, the amount of glazing and views it will access when completed.

View of San Jose skyline from Tower Building, looking out from Tower building through solar shading facade

This photo provides a closeup of hallway interior skylights. Both in the Council building and the Customer Service Center, skylights are extensively used to provide for sufficient daylighting in public spaces.

View of new San Jose City Hall Complex looking east, with the Rotunda in the foreground and the Tower building behind it. More information on the new City Hall is available at www.sanjoseca.gov/newCityHall/builddesign.htm