| ACRE / BOMA |
w w w.c o a c t d e s i g n w o r k s .c o m
Designing healthier and happier work environments
96
comstocksmag.com | April 201 9
A rendering of the
marketplace in the
California Department
of General Services’ new
O Street building.
Like living off the grid, except it’s
actually on the grid. “Our building is ac-
tually connected via a net meter, so that
when we’re producing more energy than
we need, we’re pushing that energy back
on to the grid,” says Cassil, adding that
Architectural Nexus creates about 150
percent of its energy use.
The building achieved its certifica-
tion by employing solar panels, cisterns,
water and air filtration systems, but also
nontoxic building materials, which cur-
rently aren’t as regulated by state build-
ing codes. “We worked with the vendors
to disclose all the ingredients in building
materials to ensure there are no harmful
materials,” which was a yearlong pro-
cess, says Cassil.
“We don’t really know what’s in most
of the materials that we spend most of
our lives in and around, and many of
those materials are harmful,” says Cassil.
“There’s no gentle way to put it; they are
cancer-inducing.”