[NEWS] ED+C Magazine: Glumac Irvine's Office Recognized as the First "Office of the Future"

By:    Brian Berg, PE, LEED AP
        Richard Holzer, PE, LEED AP

Showcasing the incredible impact lighting technology can have on energy savings, Glumac, one of the country’s leading sustainable engineering firms, recently moved into their new space in an Irvine Towers location in downtown Irvine. The office, designed by Gensler, has a clean and well-detailed architectural design combined with innovative MEP systems created by Glumac. It is seeking a LEED-CI Platinum certification and is also the first completed “Office of the Future” pilot project under the new North American Office of the Future (OTF) Consortium.

OTF is a new multi-utility energy efficiency pilot program for commercial office spaces. Developed by the Office of the Future Consortium, the OTF program provides support for high performance, technical approaches to lighting, lighting controls, plug load controls, HVAC performance and metering in tenant improvement projects. The program is managed by New Buildings Institute.

The office space is on the ground floor of an existing high-rise building and has an expansive open office area. Large concrete columns reach up to the top of the 21-foot structure reminiscent of an urban loft space. To preserve the soaring volume in an uncluttered aesthetic and to put the light directly where it is needed, Glumac electrical engineer Jennifer Berg, P.E. and Glumac lighting designer Carlos Inclan designed the space with furniture mounted lighting. The results integrate seamlessly with the furniture system while providing a light level of 50 footcandles at the work surfaces and operating at 0.3 watts per square foot – a 70 percent improvement over the California Title 24 state energy code. 

Lighting the Way

Tambient luminaires include extruded aluminum asymmetric reflectors, inner masks, bottom spread lenses and top cubecell louvers that all combine into an amazing performance.

In addition to the furniture mounted fixtures, Glumac utilized recessed LED lights are utilized above the few workstations with a ceiling and for all of the undercabinet lights in the space.

Occupancy sensors control all lighting fixtures throughout the office with most lights controlled with daylight harvesting controls to dim the lights when outdoor ambient light is sufficient for illumination.

The occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting controls use wireless and powerless devices. Ambient light, vibrations, and fluctuations in local temperature and pressure in the space power these sensors and controls. Information received from the occupancy and daylight devices is sent wirelessly to receivers located at the workstations to control the furniture mounted lighting.

Far wall is accented with monopoint adjustable ceramic metal halide lampholders.

The lighting power and receptacle power usage are each being submetered separately to determine actual power consumption in the space. These meters will allow Glumac to monitor the daylight harvesting system as well as the power usage of the office equipment. This will enable us to troubleshoot potential lighting control problems and create an historical log of the performance of the lighting, HVAC and control systems.

The HVAC design follows suit with the state-of-the-art lighting and electrical controls. Temperature sensors in the open office are using the same wireless and powerless technology to control the VAV boxes. This allowed locating the temperature sensors on the dramatic concrete columns while keeping them conduit free.

All offices and conference rooms have carbon dioxide devices that modulate the VAV boxes depending on occupancy to save energy at the building level. Boxes are also being modulated using the wireless lighting occupancy sensors.

System Controls

View of reception with decorative pendant. Downlights with a glowing trim were used to illuminate ceilings and walls. The glow works almost like a wallwasher, hallways have no batwing pattern falling on walls.

The Irvine Towers building housing the Glumac office has direct digital controls (DDC) for the central plant and air handlers, but the VAV boxes serving the tenant spaces are controlled with pneumatic controls. As part of the Glumac office construction a stand-alone DDC control system was installed to serve the space. The DDC system controls integrate the lighting system and temperature controls onto a common networked system. In addition to control of the HVAC and lighting systems, the power consumption of the lighting and receptacles is also being monitored.

As is often the case with modern electronic building controls systems, the lighting, HVAC, and metering systems all speak different language protocols. Through clever design, these have all been integrated into one common system that allows the sub-systems to communicate with each other. This has been done to show clients as well as the building design, operations and construction community what is truly possible with the latest technologies.

Other Components

View of hallway along conference room

Some notable design features include low flow plumbing fixtures, the purchase of renewable energy certificates that offset 100 percent of the energy used in the space with renewable energy, and millwork made from stunning bamboo plywood and rapidly renewable wheatboard.

A large conference room is directly adjacent to an open teaming area and includes a 24-foot wide glass garage door allowing both spaces to be opened up for all-staff meetings and Glumac University sessions.  “We wanted a spectacular space that is reflective of our core values,” says Glumac Irvine Managing Principal Richard Holzer.

“The goal of the project was to reflect the brand of Glumac as a forward thinking MEP engineering firm who is truly a leader in sustainable design,” says David Loyola, Gensler Newport Beach Design Director and lead design architect for the project. “The space accents the MEP systems that are usually hidden in most projects and is conceived as a series of buildings within a building. The Glumac leadership wanted a loft-type creative space for the new office. The 21 -feet ceilings and exposed concrete floors help to create this environment in a high-rise office building. As Richard said in our first meeting, it should be clear that ‘this office is not your father’s engineering office’. We’re hopeful the space reflects these goals.”  

General view of office space. A total absence of glare makes it all seem bright and comfortable.

“This project is about doing more with less - - using less energy and natural resources. It is designed as a backdrop to showcase Glumac’s great engineering work, and ideally, inspire more creative ‘Thinking Inside the Building’.”

The Office of the Future Consortium is currently sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, BC Hydro, NSTAR, National Grid, Seattle City Light and Sacramento Public Utility District and is managed by New Buildings Institute, a non-profit organization working to improve energy performance of commercial buildings.

For more information about the Office of the Future Consortium or New Buildings Institute, visit www.newbuildings.org.



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