Last week, San Mateo County formally celebrated the opening of 500 County Center, the first net-zero civic building constructed with mass timber in the U.S. Attended by more than 700 visitors, the building dedication and unveiling took place in Redwood City, California—part of the “Celebrating Our Story” event hosted by the County and the San Mateo County History Museum to honor the County’s 169th anniversary.
Scheduled to receive LEED Platinum certification, the new five-story, ultra-low carbon headquarters houses several San Mateo County departments and the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers Auditorium—the heart of county government where the public can interact with their elected officials. The 208,000-square-foot, all-electric project offers county employees and residents a forward-looking headquarters that reflects the values of the community.
“Every decision in construction detailing and structural design was motivated by the goal of diminishing the building’s carbon footprint,” said Design Principal Javier Arizmendi. “This building is emblematic of the county’s commitment to environmental responsibility, and even more than that, it elevates the important work of the many people inside the building.”
Setting a new benchmark for sustainable civic architecture, the design leverages an innovative timber structural system to reduce materials and systems on site, reducing embodied carbon by 85 percent relative to conventional steel construction.
