The nationwide offices of the Natural Resources Defense Council have been consistently built to high environmental design and resource conservation standards; their West Coast headquarters is their most ambitious such effort to date. The building was awarded a LEED Platinum rating and is among the greenest buildings in the world.

Located in an intense urban setting in Santa Monica, California, the existing 15,000-foot storefront commercial building was adapted to accommodate offices, meeting rooms and the Environmental Action Center, which includes educational and retail space. The building offers views to the south and west, taking design cues from adjacent houses and neighboring buildings. A third-story terrace designed as a small collection of seaside buildings overlooks the Pacific.

Large operable windows and a series of internal light wells bring daylight deep into the building, while photovoltaic panels produce about 20 per cent of the building’s energy. Other energy-saving features include increased building envelope insulation, Energy Star-rated roof coating and automatic interior lighting controls. Building materials include a host of highly 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 recycled or recyclable. Exceptional water efficiency is achieved through low-water fixtures, waterless urinals, extremely efficient subsurface irrigation, a rain water harvesting system and a gray water system for toilets and irrigation.