A Space for Non-Profit Groups that Focuses on Sustainability

The newly opened David Bower Center in Berkeley is possibly the world's largest recycled building. At 50,000 square feet, the building is not only constructed with nearly 50% recycled materials, but is also 40% more energy efficient than buildings of similar size. Named after a prominent environmental activist, the new building will provide a space for non-profit groups that focus on sustainability. The imaginative design focuses on reuse from top to bottom: all of the furnishings are made from salvaged wood, energy use is displayed in real time in a user friendly dashboard presentation, 3/4 of the concrete is made of slag (a steel-smelting byproduct), and even the toilet water is taken from rain-water collection. Great photos, along with details on how the David Bower Center pushes green building and reuse principals forward, can be found here.