Building Lifecycle
From design through construction, operation, and demolition, Stanford demonstrates a commitment to sustainable buildings and responsible management throughout the lifecycle of a building.
Stanford University’s Project Delivery Process Manual incorporates sustainability through the Guidelines for Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Stanford’s Guidelines for Sustainable Buildings, which adapt the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system and the U.S. government’s Labs21 guidelines to the university setting.
Going Beyond the Status Quo
The university’s energy performance targets for each new building coming online are 30% more efficient than building codes require. The whole-building targets are set by comparing the energy consumption of peer buildings at other California universities, the energy consumption of similar buildings on campus, and the building’s best possible energy performance.
Strategies to address energy demand in buildings yield significant results. The energy use index (EUI) for each new building constructed has fallen by half since 1988.
Stanford engineers and architects transfer knowledge from design, construction, and operation of new buildings to subsequent buildings, making Stanford a leader not only in research, but also in the practice of building new facilities.
Architectural Strategies
Conservation standards are achieved through key architectural design strategies that reduce the electricity and heating load of the building and make the interior resource-efficient. The exterior design is a referential but current expression of Stanford’s context and identity, driven by modern construction technology and sustainability. The interior expression is driven by the goals of the program occupants and sustainable performance goals and conveys the identity of the users.
Key strategies in design include:
- Siting: Driven by the Campus Master Plan, which encourages a quad with east/west elongation to take advantage of the natural benefits of north/south vs. east/west light, site location is the most important element of design.
- Envelope: Stanford follows an overarching strategy for façade exposure and high-performance building envelope design. This includes advanced glazing technology (different glass is specified for each exposure in order to balance daylight penetration with heat loss and gain). It also includes shading devices to maximize light intake and minimize heat gain.
- Insulation: Extensive envelope analysis/energy modeling is performed to determine the optimal amount of insulation and thermal breaks in window construction in order to maximize insulation capacity.
- Building-level renewable energy: Renewable power is incorporated as a part of building design, and the university currently has solar installations on more than 30 campus buildings.
Efficient Space Utilization
Stanford conducts rigorous space utilization studies to renovate existing buildings to create space for new needs. A key goal is to recover 5-10% of the space in campus buildings. The university’s Space Planning Guidelines ensure new space is added only when necessary. To encourage more efficient use of office space, Stanford applies a fee for underutilized space. Several schools are working to reduce their space charge by means such as conducting master space plan studies and renovating spaces in conformance with the Space Planning Guidelines.
Sustainable Demolition
Through selective salvage opportunities and extensive material recycling, demolition on campus strives to meet Stanford’s sustainability goals and budget requirements, while minimizing impact to the campus community. A balanced approach to demolition projects ensures the building’s legacy serves the university for years to come.