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The Design
The focus of the design is to ensure that all energy systems of the building are integrated. The design includes a highly energy efficient envelope that incorporates the wall system, natural daylight and ventilation. These separate components complement each other and compound the savings by using energy many times; resulting in a building that uses 30% or less of the amount of energy that conventional construction would allow.
Experts including engineers, energy efficiency, and building and construction have been brought in from throughout the country to help develop the separate systems. Their focus has been on designing energy and water saving systems in the building that optimize savings with the most currently available technology. Many of them have donated their time to collaborative meetings in which they have worked to integrate the separate systems and make the overall whole more efficient and effective.
The 21 Acres Center is the anchor component of the 21 Acres property. The Center will be surrounded by a vast outdoor patio area that will enable pedestrian traffic to flow in and out of the building as people shop, eat, and explore. All materials used in construction will be environmentally friendly and low-impact. The facility will provide an opportunity to educate the public about tools we can use in our homes every day to make a positive difference in the environment.
Concrete and steel were chosen as the structural materials for the building for their functional qualities as well as their "timelessness". The resulting structure not only addresses the seismic design requirements of current building code but also maximum performance of the buildings projected Life Cycle. The chosen low maintenance materials have proven characteristics in providing stable Thermal Mass as well as building Longevity.
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Perspective Views
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Upper and Lower Complete Floor Plans
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Two Wings/Two Levels
The facility has been delineated as two separate wings, the east wing and the west wing. The two wings are mirror images of each other and juxposed so as to further define the exterior Courtyards as an integral part of the functioning space. This Indoor/Outdoor Vernacular will accommodate the changes of a Seasonal Marketplace. In the warmer peak seasons the market will centralize around the lower courtyard and invite visitors through a precession onto the upper courtyard and then down the berm and visa versa. During the colder months the market will be smaller and turn inward allowing for a procession through the lower floor of each wing with an "open air" feeling coming from the Atrium space and curious vantages to the upper level.
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