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A new, state-of-the-art office building is in the works to house employees of three California state agencies in Sacramento. ZGF Architects is designing a $274 million, glass-covered structure to replace a vacant building on O Street in the state capital.

鈥淲e are seeing a trend in state buildings,鈥� said Allyn Stellmacher, a partner at ZGF. 鈥淭his building will be more appropriate for high-performance workforce. It will give a new look and feel on new models of government. It will be something that is there for workers and the public to see.鈥�

ZGF Architects, Sacramento-based Lionakis and Redwood City, California-based builder Rudolph and Sletten won a design-build competition for the project. ZGF Architects is the architect of record. Lionakis is providing design, technical and local support. Plans call for a 360,000-square-foot office building. The California Department of General Services is overseeing the project, which is slated to finish in 2021.

鈥淭his building is a fundamental 180-degree shift from the bunker buildings (of the past),鈥� Stellmacher said. 鈥淚t has a glass curtain wall and looks to reflect light and be transparent. It has a focus on the pedestrian realm and looks to improve the pedestrian and transit realms.鈥�

One of the structure’s most unique attributes will be how it responds to summer temperatures that regularly soar past 100 degrees for weeks on end. Instead of a typical forced-air system, the building will employ a passive cooling system.

鈥淪acramento is known for its robust summers,鈥� Stellmacher said. 鈥淪acramento has recognized how it fits into climate change and is making changes in its buildings all the way down to the streetscape.鈥�

Cool air will travel through the building in spaces in the flooring and into rooms through vents. As the air warms and rises toward the ceiling, it will come in contact with radiant coolers filled with cold water; resultant cool air will then drift downward toward building occupants. That system will be paired with more traditional ones such as mechanical shades and windows that will open and close in accordance with temperatures.

Also, the amount of glazing will be approximately less than for a typical office building to make its surface more heat-resistant.

The building is being designed to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design platinum standards. Also, the target is for net zero energy use. To meet those challenges, designers are aiming to use materials that will capitalize on the surrounding environment.

鈥淭he winds off the Sacramento River come up in the evening and can really cool down the concrete frame of the building,鈥� Stellmacher said.

The building’s proximity to the river will present a challenge for construction due to the water table.

鈥淭he groundwater table is concern,鈥� said Kyle Glankler, senior project manager with Rudolph and Sletten. 鈥淲e are going to have to de-water the site.鈥�

Water will be pumped from the site and then concrete and sealants will be used to make sure water doesn’t seep into the building basement.

The building will house more than 1,100 state employees with the California Health and Human Services Agency, the Department of State Hospitals and the Department of Developmental Services.

鈥淲e’re not building a Google headquarters, but it will affect the notion of how to provide a workplace,鈥� Stellmacher said. 鈥淚t really looks to connect with (the streetscape) and create a number of new work environments. In some ways it is working to change the rules on how buildings should perform.鈥�

Design Beyond Borders is a 91视频 feature offering a look at the projects outside of Oregon being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact 91视频 architecture and engineering reporter Kent Hohlfeld at 503-802-7224 or [email protected].