BUILDING PROFILE T ree Part By Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director
The California Independent System Operator Corp. is responsible for the management of the California electrical grid. This mission puts them squarely in the high-profi le tech arena and requires a very sophisticated data center. It also forced two goals when the non-profi t built a new headquarter building in Folsom, Calif.: fi rst to educate the public about energy consumption and second to attract workers in the very com- petitive tech sector.
Kristopher Barkley, design director at Dreyfuss &
Blackford Architects, Sacramento, Calif., responded to those needs with a building that comprises three parts: a dynamic public space, an enticing offi ce environment and an effi cient mission critical data center. The three wings of the California ISO head- quarters house each element and work in concert to deliver on its mission. “They have 750 employees in the tech busi-
ness,” says Barkley. “But it’s not as exciting as Google or Yahoo, so they wanted to create an atmosphere to become an employer of choice.” The building helps fulfi ll that goal.
The California ISO headquarters is situated on
a rolling expanse of land outside Sacramento, Calif., and designed to fi t in naturally among the native vegetation, which includes native oak trees. It also was designed to achieve LEED Platinum status, and through careful use of daylighting, solar energy, water conservation, material choice and other deci- sions, it has been certifi ed.
THE PUBLIC WING
A building has to do more than just be sustainable to attract tech workers, though. It has to have a contemporary feel, and the use of metal panels from
Harmony
The California ISO Headquarter building serves three distinct functions and earns LEED Platinum certifi cation
The public wing of California ISO Headquarters features a dramatic entrance framed with CENTRIA metal panels. On the right is the glass-encased offi ce wing that delivers natural light throughout the space.