Robert Redford Building for NRDC

Santa Monica, California

Client: The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

This West Coast headquarters of the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the first projects to achieve LEED Platinum (v2) certification, pioneered many sustainable building practices. The project is an extensive remodel of an existing 15,000 square-foot commercial building into an office with a ground floor educational and retail space. Solar panels produce on-site energy, and large operable windows and a series of light wells naturally illuminate the building. Building materials include renewable and recycled materials such as bamboo, poplar, partitions made from recycled water bottles, and carpet made from recycled nylon. Over half of the materials are locally harvested and over 90% are recyclable. Exceptional water efficiency is achieved through waterless and low-usage fixtures, and gray water recycling.