High Performance Modular Building: Inspiration from the Past, Technology from the Present, Design for the Future

This Case Study presents the design and construction of a new high performance building for the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). The 5,600 square foot commercial building with offices, open cubicles, conference/meeting rooms, and locker/shower rooms will serve 22 ranger staff that work in the Mokelumne River Watershed in the Sierra Nevada foothills approximately 30 miles northeast of Stockton, California. The building is unique in that the designers included several sustainable and high performance features by employing a combination of "low technology" methods using design strategies from pre-modern historical practices with "high technology" analyses and controls. The sustainable features include water saving systems (rainwater collection, gray-water irrigation); low energy HVAC systems (radiant floors, natural ventilation, earth tubes, stack effect); and energy generation (PV, future wind turbine). The project goal was to achieve "net zero" annual energy use. Furthermore, the building was designed for modular construction to minimize construction waste and provide a cost-effective building solution.