A Living Lab for Sustainability

HOK’s architects and MEP engineers designed a “living lab” for sustainability that set new performance standards for forensics laboratories.

In this one-story building, investigators analyze criminal evidence for San Mateo County law enforcement agencies in 22 cities.

The design marries the single-story building’s technical interior program with the external impact of the sloped site in the rolling hills of San Mateo. The soothing environment provides relief from the painstaking work required to examine crime scene evidence.

Sustainable features include a photovoltaic system, architectural sun control, daylight harvesting and advanced lighting controls with occupancy sensors and photocells, operable windows in offices, energy-efficient VAV fume hoods and HVAC systems, and sustainable materials. Exposing the lab infrastructure makes technical and mechanical elements easier to maintain.

The team modeled energy use and peak loads at 50 percent less than California energy requirements. With a peak output of 202 kilowatts, the 22,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels produce enough power to accommodate all non-HVAC electrical requirements and to export energy back to the grid during off-peak daylight hours.