Greener Than Thou is our report on San Francisco’s obsession with all things green, calling bullshit in the poseurs and lavishing praise on those who have secured their place in environmental paradise. Feeling a little green? Send us the tip love!
[IDeAs Z2 Design Facility; rendering courtesy IDeAs design facilities]
The Z2 Design Facility, a collaboration between Integrated San Jose-based Integrated Design Associates Inc. (IDeAs) and San Francisco firm EHDD Architecture, had its ribbon cut today in San Jose. Earlier in the week, we bestowed the building with a Greener Than Thou "Extreme Greeness" Award for its unrelenting commitment to sustainably built commercial buildings—and for those slick renderings (Pushovers R' Us when it comes to the visuals). Hell, we can just imagine David Kaneda (IDeAs) and Scott Shell (EHDD) lounging casually on the grass outside Z2 during its environmental inspection, slamming shots of wheat grass while smug in the knowledge that their building relies on no fossil fuels for electricity, heating, or cooling. Environmental sainthood? While they haven't been canonized yet, IDeAs/EHHD's chances of scoring a LEED Platinum Certification, the highest, seem more hopeful than not. For a breakdown on the features (pinpointed above) that distinguish the Z2 Design Facility from other industrial greenwashed slabs, see their newly launched website, Z2building.com.
· Greener Than Thou: Z2 Design Facility, San Jose [Curbed SF]