January 2015
| Business World
161
The design team on that project also pursued
strategies to minimize water consumption.
For example, rainwater on that building will
be collected and stored in a cistern, filtered,
and then reused for non-potable uses such
as PV washing, cooling tower make-up, and
site irrigation. High-efficiency plumbing fix-
tures are used and the site is landscaped with
native plants that require minimal irrigation.
According to Ted, ZGF has always been in-
terested in incorporating sustainable features
like those – both for social reasons, and also
for operational-efficiency reasons.
“Building performance is something we’ve
been focused on for a long time,” he says.
“The best way to push the envelope in terms
of that is sustainability, and we’re able to take
what we’ve learned from clients like Craig
Venter, and bring that knowledge to clients
who are less focused on sustainability or less
willing to take chances.”
“Even the clients who aren’t interested in
sustainability, when I tell them they can cut
their operating costs by 30 or 40 percent,
they become interested,” he says.
“We like the idea of designing buildings
that are more than just shelter,” he reiterates.
“Creating cool spaces that really change the
way people live and work – that’s gratifying.”
