The state-of-the-art fitness center may earn the praise of gym-goers. The large outdoor courtyard may be the crown jewel for artists and entertainers. And the sidewalk café may be the center of attention for coffee lovers.
But for eco-conscious citizens, the real cause for celebration is what visitors to the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life do not see.
“There was always an attention to sustainability,” said Paula Shaviv, an architect with Steinberg Architects, which designed the TKCJL. “It was important to everyone, from contractors to consultants to architects.”
Just how green is the campus? Well, it begins beneath the underground garage and ends on top of the highest building.
The site that the campus is built on, previously occupied by Sun Microsys-tems and Ford Aerospace, was a brownfield, a developed site with contaminated soil. Construction crews cleaned up the soil beyond requirements and installed a geo-membrane isolation system to contain dangerous gases well below the surface.
The containment system allowed for the TKCJL to “take what would be a bad site and not usable, and make it usable,” Shaviv said.
High above ground, Sarnafil solar-reflective materials cover 75 percent of roofs, reducing the need for air-conditioning in warm weather.
Not all green features at TKCJL are out of eyesight, however. Almost every room has natural light, the majority receiving enough that artificial light is not necessary. “It’s remarkable that we could manage, for such a large campus, that virtually everyone can see the outside,” Shaviv said. “From a user’s standpoint, that’s great.”
The campus has underground parking for 168 bicycles and 31 priority spots for fuel-efficient vehicles and carpool vehicles (in addition to 591 regular parking spots). Yet with the proximity to bus lines and Caltrain and the 13 shuttles that run between campus and various locations throughout the South Bay and Peninsula, driving to the TKCJL is not necessary.
Other green features include janitorial products bearing the “green seal” of environmental approval, no smoking allowed anywhere on campus, recycling bins throughout, and low-flow toilets, sinks and showers.
With the long list of eco-friendly practices, systems and programs used at TKCJL, the campus is on target to become certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system.
While reducing its impact on the environment was always a core goal of the TKCJL, trying to become LEED-certified came later in the process. “There was a lot of interest on the part of donors,” Shaviv said. “To users, it’s recognition that we really do have these things — a stamp of approval, essentially.”
Despite the successful inclusion of many environmental features in the campus, a solar system to heat the pool suffered under the economy. “It’s set up so in the future it can heat the pool,” Shaviv said. “Right now it’s a funding issue.”
And once the pool does become solar-powered, it will just be another part of the TKCJL for onlookers to admire.