Creating a sustainable building is not only a matter of plans, materials and codes. Of course the right materials must be specified, the smart systems and designs chosen, the appropriate actions—such as recycling excess materials during construction—taken. But, unless the green and sustainable mandates are ultimately embraced by owners, there is no assurance a building that is actually built green, will be operated in a sustainable manner going forward.

Today, an architect is not only the designer, but must be an agent of change, or more aptly put, an emissary from the future. In the case of the recently constructed Water + Life Museums in Hemet, CACalif., the clients did embrace green, and it can be confidently said that the buildings will be operated in a sustainable fashion for generations to come. Even so, going green is not the path of least resistance. It demands a time-consuming attention to detail, and incredible persistence of cause.

The museums—the Center for Water Education and the Western Center for Archeology and Paleontology—were designed by a Los Angeles-based joint venture of Lehrer + Gangi Design + Build. We compiled a team of consultants for energy use, the gamut of engineering disciplines, landscape architecture, and LEED commissioning. The museums were the sort of project architects and sustainable building proponents dream about: A fresh site and a client attuned to the importance of natural resources. The museums were a giveback to the community by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) for the creation of Diamond Valley Lake reservoir, a six-month emergency water supply for Southern California. MWD owns the land, and has given it to the museums.

In many ways, the site begged for a Platinum LEED certification. Sunshine is plentiful in the desert, making solar power a natural selection. Despite proximity to the nation’s largest earthen dam, the area lacks water (as does all of Southern California), which had to be used sparingly—especially as one of the museums deals with water issues.

As designs evolved, we approached the two museum boards (here is where persistence counts) about not only seeking LEED certification, but about being as sustainable as possible. The “green” architecture movement, in its current incarnation, was just beginning in the early stages of this project, and we knew it would be in full force by the time the buildings were finished. We stressed the importance of sustainability—and, indeed, the irony if the buildings were viewed as “energy hogs”—or worse—someday. To be sure, there were costs, including a $4-million ($2-million after rebates) array of solar panels, for the 70,000-square-foot, $36-million project. But the savings projected by installing such a system amount to $13 million during its projected lifespan.

In the end, museum leadership was convinced.

It was important that we not install a lot of sustainable systems that would be abandoned in following years, as building operational staff might change or might find the systems too vexing. Wherever possible, we designed or selected systems that would remain in use, due to ease of utility and maximum durability. Here are some of the energy-, water- and waste-saving materials, systems, and technologies that were employed:

• A rooftop and loggia solar panel system, which supplies 60-percent of the buildings’ power needs is all the more remarkable given that the museums’ desert location boasts one of hottest climes in North America. HVAC use can be very heavy and costly, especially on crowded summer days. The 50,000-square-foot solar system was overseen by Dr. Peter Gevorkian, author and recognized solar power expert, and founder of the Vector Delta Design Group Inc. The 540-kilowatt solar-power system of 3,000 roof-mounted panels is strapped together to create large island platforms to withstand 120-mile-per-hour winds. The system is grounded, and can withstand direct lightening strikes. It is nearly maintenance free; rooftop water nozzles were installed to allow for easy “hosing off” of panels to remove dust.
  
  “This system will function for a minimum of 30 years—probably beyond—and after rebates, will pay for itself within seven years,” says Gevorkian. “Moreover, it is a hedge against rising energy costs in the future. In a sense, it will be paying the museums back for decades.”
  
  In addition to the utilitarian aspect of the solid solar panels, an artistic result emerged. The courtyard loggia are covered with panels made of silicon wafers set into translucent glass. They are a critical architectural feature, being about the sun’s light—illuminating, dappling, and shading—as well as about the beauty of the capture of the sun’s energy. The message is that architecture’s work is to make necessity a virtue.
• Radiant heating and cooling water pipes were installed under the floors. This is a more logical place to concentrate temperature, as the museum has high ceilings that could wastefully capture the temperature when it is needed more toward the floor, where the people are. Embedded water pipes effectively alter ground-level temperatures with minimal energy consumption. This arrangement is largely controlled by a digital system, and only requires routine and light maintenance.
• Special insulating glass was installed on 8,000 square feet of large, east-facing windows, deflecting heat from the morning sun, while letting sunlight in, with a very positive effect on ambiance. To further reduce radiant heat gain, beautiful transparent thematic banners are hung in the windows, giving a pleasing reminder that “sustainable” can also be passive and low-tech. While the banners have a lifespan measured in years, the windows are permanent, and require no management.
• The very shape of the buildings—with large solid bulwarks shielding recessed glass walls—helps reduce cooling costs. Recessed windows, of course, are a staple of traditional thick-walled Southwestern architecture, so in many ways, the museums fit into their surroundings. And like the old buildings of the Southwest, the thick walls are maintenance free, adding another passive green feature.
• HVAC systems are monitored and controlled digitally, and all systems are monitored regularly offsite by on-line programs, eliminating the need for regular trips by motor vehicle. This is exemplary of green technology, which both reduces pollution and increases productivity.
• Interior systems have minimal effect on the daily workings of staff and visitors. Efficient, low-heat lighting is automatically dimmed when abundant natural light is evident. Low-flush toilets and waterless urinals require no more maintenance, and arguably less, than “regular” plumbing.
• Landscaping makes use of hardy desert plants, while rainwater is funneled into a designed creek bed that evokes the naturally found “braided streams” made up of sandstone, and framed by boulders that resulted from the dam construction. Recycled water is used in a drip-irrigation system. This is another example of how green can result in less maintenance, not more. The typical garden of grass and exotic trees would require more water and fertilizer, and be subject to botanical diseases that often afflict high-maintenance greenery. Green is not always green. If merely erecting a museum to code is a monumental task, building to gain LEED certification is a documentation blizzard. Frank Gangi, construction manager, recalls trying to gain assurances from subcontractors that only recycled wood planks would be used in concrete form work, and that excess materials from construction would be recycled. Indeed, more than 90 percent of the excess metal, wood, and other building materials was sold for scrap (a slight profit was made on that activity).

LEED certification entails another layer of action and record-keeping. “It is certainly more difficult to build a LEED building, as the specs are different,” says Gangi. “You run into special restrictions, such as limits on the outgassing of materials and the use of certified wood. All these things have to be checked and then rechecked.”

We can one day expect green buildings to become woven into the fabric of our society—just as seatbelts, handicapped access, sunscreen, or recyclable bottles once seemed novel, and now appear mundane.

The process of designing a sustainable building is not intuitive; it is a learned behavior, and experience will count for much going forward. The best architects (and owners) will not begrudge green, but will embrace the movement as a catalyst for change. Challenges beget opportunities for the agile architect and designer.

At the Water + Life Museums, we have shown that solar panels can be useful, economic, and beautiful, that naturally lit and enjoyable public spaces can be constructed while conserving energy and water consumption, and that the world need not be about zero-sum and tradeoffs, but can engage in win-wins and add-ons.