San Francisco
The California Academy of Sciences opened its new 410,000-sf museum in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in September of 2008. Designed by Renzo Piano, the sustainably-designed facility is comprised of 12 separate buildings and includes the Steinhart Aquarium, the Morrison planetarium, a four-story rainforest, and a natural history museum. The project features a $488 million green roof, non-toxic insulation, a passive heating and cooling system, a recycled steel structure, and photovoltaic electricity. LEED Platinum certification for sustainable design will be sought for the project. The duration of construction for the facility, which is the largest public green building in the world, was three years.
