ENVIRIONMENTAL INNOVATION CENTER
“prototype for responsible site development showcasing a myriad of sustainable design features and technologies including an interpretive art piece referencing the agricultural heritage of the area.”
The project was a collaboration between the SWA Group and Group 4 to make a LEED platinum site that adapted and reused a former manufacturing plant for wax
Their work earned them an ASLA Merit Award for design for introducing material recycling plan and a research incubator for green tech in a site specific 5 acre lot. Winning an Award like this makes the recipient recognized as:
-ASLA, N. California, 2019
The main group behind it all was the Environmental Service Dept. Of San Jose, who shared the values of the firm they fired to create an alternative for how to design a workspace that met ever more pressing sustainability goals.
MEET THE TEAM HERE!
PROGRAM
The program was creating a space out of the near 50,000 sqft warehouse into a series of businesses that fit the agenda for the city’s Green Vision plan. The main areas inside are a recycling center, which also allowed for a salvage of construction materials; it also included the “clean technology development center” which is specifically dedicated to discovering different fuel sources to solve the fossil fuel frenzy and the energy crisis. Some of the other services include the conference area, incubator space, and general service areas.
The site seeks to inspire the other areas in the city and potentially the region to follow its footsteps by showing how its onsite energy, conservation of construction waste and retention of storm water can contribute to combatting the drought issues faced by the city as a whole.
All of these goals reflect on the city’s goals and the Environmental Service Departments mission to provide clean water utilities and recycled water, as well as managing the waste that goes into the water table.
LOCATION
The project is located in the northeast quarter of the city, alongside the lower silver creek, a tributary of Coyote Creek, and coyote creek itself. The project lies on the edge of an industrial quarter that has numerous programs within a small block area, including a medical contractor Therma, and various other large scale industries that need warehouse style buildings. The hope is that the businesses in the area can see that you can be successful in the business side while still being align with green vision goals that allow for the long term health of the city to be viewed in a more positive light.
The permeable pavement and water filtration techniques are ever more important given the proximity of the heart of the water tables, Coyote creek, and the water retention techniques, including the 6,000 gallon runoff collection basin for water usage.
ENVIRIONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
The city council and the people of San Jose have spoken: they want a city that can be as green as the technology in this city allows.
The green vision was a sustainability plan spread out over 15 years to simultaneously steer the economic growth and reduce the overall carbon footprint left behind by the city. This bill was adopted in 2007, and has since been a guiding principle for the city to gauge the city’s goals in networking, community outreach and environmental stewardship.
There are several milestones that have been provided to guide their decision making but overall the goals are a simple spread of markers that the community has set out to achieve by this year in 2022.
The successor to this 15 year plan is the Environmental Sustainability Plan or ESP. The primary goals include:
Create 25,000 clean tech jobs
Reduce per capita energy use by 50%
Be 100% powered by clean renewable energy
Retrofit or build 50M sqft of green buildings
Convert all landfill wast into energy
Recycle or reuse all wastewater in the city, which would save 100M gallons of water PER DAY.
PROGRAM
One of the biggest goals for the project, in face the very first, is creating jobs for people. That has specifically to do with people centered approach, and the wellbeing of the people inside the city and outside are the number one priority. The other goals are a list of ways for those people to reduce their carbon footprint which will improve the quality of life for those who wish to make a better world for their children.
LOCATION
The project is located in the northeast quarter of the city, alongside the lower silver creek, a tributary of Coyote Creek, and coyote creek itself. The project lies on the edge of an industrial quarter that has numerous programs within a small block area, including a medical contractor Therma, and various other large scale industries that need warehouse style buildings. The hope is that the businesses in the area can see that you can be successful in the business side while still being align with green vision goals that allow for the long term health of the city to be viewed in a more positive light.
The permeable pavement and water filtration techniques are ever more important given the proximity of the heart of the water tables, Coyote creek, and the water retention techniques, including the 6,000 gallon runoff collection basin for water usage.
