Editor’s note: Michael Berrisford is the publisher of ILFI’s publishing label, Ecotone. Here he shares what makes our latest release, Regenerative Retrofit: California’s First Living Building, so special. (Available September 15, pre-order your copy now for a 20% discount. Or, receive a free copy when you register for ILFI’s Zero Carbon Conference by September 9.)
The Arch Nexus Sacramento (SAC) office is California’s first Living Certified building, the 19th Living project worldwide, and the only adaptive reuse building to achieve Living Certification in the Living Building Challenge. Impressive, especially in a state that is one of the most environmentally progressive in the nation, touting a deep green state-wide building energy code (see California Energy Commission’s Title 24) and new 2020 net-zero mandate for residential construction, to be followed in 2030 for new commercial construction.
The Arch Nexus SAC regenerative retrofit is so much more than a shiny solar-powered, high-performance brick and mortar landmark adorned to garner “oohs” and “ahhs.” Nor is Arch Nexus SAC a green technology showcase trimmed out with futuristic tech, instantly iconic for its statuesque architecture and stately skyline posture. While it does have numerous verdant features such as the biophilic-inspired daylighting plan and living wall, robust solar capability, composting toilets, and right-sized cisterns, in actuality, Arch Nexus SAC’s shine comes from its undeniable success as a smart, practical, fully-functioning Living Building that has been bootstrapped from its humble industrial origins as a 1950s-era warehouse.
Further, the building and its owner/occupants are notable for meeting timely objectives linked to the proliferation of crises facing California. Through this building, and pretty much every action they take these days, they are responding positively to the consequences of climate change such as recurrent droughts, intense wildfires, increasing extreme temperatures, and power grid insecurity–all the while connecting to the social fabric of their local community.
The Arch Nexus office in Sacramento is a people-driven, thoughtfully designed building transformed from traditional building stock to an architectural gem that impressively reduces its carbon footprint. It generates energy and collects water like one of nature’s systems and provides a healthy and engaging physical workplace environment for its knowledgeable and creative occupants. Working-class building retrofits like the Arch Nexus SAC office transformation represent a viable–and now proven–opportunity for addressing climate change.
Read all about it in our latest Ecotone title, Regenerative Retrofit: California’s First Living Building and learn Petal by Petal how every design decision made by Arch Nexus puts people and planet first. Available September 15, pre-order your advance copy now!
Register for our Zero Carbon Conference (October 7-8, completely online) by September 9 and receive a free copy of Regenerative Retrofit!
