Clif Bar & Company's Emeryville headquarters receive LEED Platinum
The Emeryville, California, US headquarters of nutritious and organic foods and drinks manufacturer Clif Bar & Company has secured LEED Platinum from the US Green Building Council.
The facility, comprising 115,000 square feet of office space, has been designed by Portland, Oregon-based ZGF Architects and developed by San Francisco-based DPR Construction. It has been completed in 2010 and is the first building in Emeryville to win the certification in the commercial interior category.
The building houses a 6,700 square feet onsite childcare facility for children aged from infant to five years, cafe for the employees named Kali's Kitchen, a fitness centre with a weight room, and a bouldering wall measuring 40 feet. There is also a 350-seat theatre donning a raised stage, customizable lighting, and professional sound board. Other features include yoga room, dance studio, shower/locker facilities, two massage rooms, and bike storage.
The facility imbibes several green features such as a solar array-fitted rooftop which meets bulk of its power requirements.The solar thermal panels also generate 70% of the heat needed to heat water. The facility is one of the first buildings in the state to abide by 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards owing to use of solar power, and employing energy-saving measures in its R & D kitchen and energy-efficient office equipment. The building has been fitted with low-flow faucets and showers which lead to a fall in water consumption.
The property incorporates a biophilic design with its workspace sporting an open-plan concept. It features four atrium gardens which integrate into the office interior and provide sunlight and rain to the plants and garden greenery. The glass garden walls, extensive exterior and clerestory windows offer maximum penetration of natural light. The facility is adorned in natural materials, nature-inspired interior shades, and planters filled with Zen rock gardens and live plants.
The office utilises sustainably sourced materials throughout such as over 12,000 board feet of wood recycled from sources like container crates and barns. All new wood used in Construction is FSC-certified. The facility has also made use of reclaimed denim to create 380 sound-absorbing panels. Recycling lamps, tables, white boards and bookshelves from the building's former tenant and constructing desks from rapidly renewable bamboo add to the sustainability factor. In addition, the artwork adorning the facility is reclaimed and includes hanging sculptures made of retired bikes, kayaks, snowboards and surfboards.
