Case Study

Case Study: Global Ecology Center, Stanford, California

Planetary Perspectives: Design for labs and offices for a team of climate researchers mimics natural systems to drive down energy use and carbon emissions.

This was the first program I’ve seen in which you can tell that someone approached the building with sustainability in mind,” says Scott Shell, of EHDD Architecture, in reference to the client’s concept document for the Department of Global Ecology, a new arm of the Washington, D.C. –based Carnegie Institution. Located alongside the venerable Department of Plant Biology on a 7.4-acre site leased from Stanford University, Global Ecology has 50 researchers and staff who study planetary systems, especially the changes, including those affecting climate and biodiversity. “We’re concerned about humanity’s effect on the planet,” says director Chris Field, “particularly regarding energy use.” That concern came through loud and clear in their priorities for the facility.

Rather than clearing a mature oak forest from the site to create a one-story structure, the designers chose to tuck the building into a previously paved utility area at the back of the property, creating a new core for the campus. A two-story building better accommodated the area’s smaller size, and the narrow, 40-foot-wide plan facilitated daylighting.

Published January 2, 2007

Malin, N. (2007, January 2). Case Study: Global Ecology Center, Stanford, California. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/case-study/case-study-global-ecology-center-stanford-california