3. INTRODUCTION
● The California Academy of Sciences is a natural
history museum in San Francisco, California, that is
among the largest museums of natural history in the
world, housing over 26 million specimens.
● The Academy began in 1853 as a learned society and
still carries out a large amount of original research,
with exhibits and education becoming significant
endeavors of the museum during the 20th century.
Building Type :
● Green Building (Platinum certification under the
LEED program.)
● Environmentally friendly design, in keeping with
the Academy's focus on ecological concerns and
environmental sustainability.
4. ARCHITECTURAL STYLES :
● Postmodern Architecture
● Futurist architecture
● Expressionist architecture
Number of floors: 4
Places included :
● Kimball Natural History Museum,
● Steinhart Aquarium,
● Morrison Planetarium,
● Osher rainforest
● Eight scientific research departments
•Specimens : Over 20 million scientific specimens
•Major Structural System : Steel
•Major HVAC system : Radiant Heating/Cooling System.
5. ● Renzo Piano was inspired by seven major hills of San
Francisco.
● Evolution is a central concept of modern science, and as
such, promoted by the Academy of Sciences, which
recognizes the evolution as the foundation of understanding
of biodiversity and as a founding principle of a scientific
criticism.
● Its stated aim was to systematically survey the new state of
California and collect “rare and rich” natural specimens. Two
decades later, the renamed California Academy of Sciences
(the Academy) opened as the city's first public museum.
CONCEPT
Conceptual sketch of roof representing topography
28. SPACES
● The Academy is a single structure but contains
multiple venues, including the aquarium, the
planetarium, the natural history museum and the
4-storey rainforest. In addition, there's a 3D theater, a
lecture hall, a Naturalist Center, two restaurants, an
adjacent garden and aviary, a roof terrace, and an
Academy store.
The museum consists of very unique
areas :
29. ● The Academy is home to species of northern
California and Philippine coral reefs
● At 25 feet deep and holding 212,000 gallons of
water, the Philippine Coral Reef tank is one of
the deepest exhibits of live corals in the world.
● An elevator will allow the public to walk through
and below these huge tanks.
● Home to nearly 40,000 animals, and
representing more than 900 separate species.
AQUARIUM
30. ● The exhibition halls will have access to a portion of
the roof, thus creating spaces for outdoor exhibition.
● It includes exhibits on the evolution of species in
Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands, and the
effects of climate change on California. There is also
a section devoted to Africa.
EXHIBITION CHAMBERS
31. ● One of the things most striking is the huge green roof
of about 100,000 square meters, from where large
domes rise, randomly also lined with green.
● These domes are large spaces, such as the
planetarium or the reserve which houses a green
tropical forest and comes from inside the building.
● 75-foot dome displays one of the most accurate digital
universes ever created.
● Mimicking the tilt of planet earth, the frame of the
dome is composed of 100 percent recycled steel.
PLANETARIUM
33. ● The building reconnects two spherical units and mixes it with a whole new
structure, which is actually very transparent, connecting it visually with the
Golden Park, away from the old conception of dark museums. Shade will be
provided by a canopy that goes around the building, with solar panels on it.
● Sustainability was a key aspect of the design, as this project is one of the
ten pilot “green building” projects of the San Francisco Department of
Environment, aiming to get platinum LEED certification. Actually, the
building will consume 30-35% less energy than required by code.
● The project conserves two limestone walls from the previous building (1934),
and houses a planetarium, a rainforest habitat and an aquarium, and several
exhibition spaces to house the several Academy collections.
● The planetarium and the bubble that contains the rainforest habitat are the
two big spheres that shape the green roof. The roof becomes a landscape
with California native species, that won´t need extra maintenance or water,
attracting local species to occupy it. Thus, the green roof won't be fully
accessible to visitors, who can only walk through a small path.
How did the site of the building affect its form?
How does the form of the building affect its structural system?
34. ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY FEATURES
● Produces 50 percent less waste water than previously
● Recycles rainwater for irrigation
● Uses 60,000 photovoltaic cells
● Supports a green roof with an area of 2.5 acres (1.0 hectare)
● Uses natural lighting in 90 percent of occupied spaces
● Was constructed of over 20,000 cubic yards (15,000 m3) of
recycled concrete
● Construction includes 11 million pounds (5,000 t) of recycled
steel.
● Wall insulation made from scraps of recycled denim
36. ● This “living roof” is covered with 1,700,000 selected
autochthonous plants planted in specially conceived
biodegradable coconut-fibre containers.
● The roof is flat at its perimeter and, like a natural
landscape, becomes increasingly undulating as it moves
away from the edge to form a series of domes of various
sizes rising up from the roof plane. The two main domes
cover the planetarium and rain forest exhibitions. The
domes are speckled with a pattern of skylights
automated to open and close for ventilation.
● The soil’s moisture, combined with the phenomenon of
thermal inertia, cools the inside of the museum
significantly, thus avoiding the need for air-conditioning
in the ground-floor public areas and the research offices
along the facade.
PASSIVE DESIGN FEATURES
GREEN ROOF
37. ● A solar canopy around the perimeter of the Living Roof
contains 60,000 photovoltaic cells that supply almost
213,000 kWh of clean energy per year (at least 10 percent
of the Academy's standard energy needs)—and prevents
the release of more than 405,000 pounds of greenhouse
gas emissions annually.
● In addition to on-site photovoltaics, the Academy has
offsite 1,350 MWh of its energy needs by purchasing
Renewable Energy Certificates, which help to support the
California renewable energy industry.
PASSIVE DESIGN FEATURES
RENEWABLE ENERGY
40. PASSIVE DESIGN FEATURES
WATER EFFICIENCY
● By absorbing rainwater, the new Academy’s living roof
will prevent up to 3.6 million gallons of runoff from
carrying pollutants into the ecosystem each year (about
98% of all stormwater).
● Reclaimed water from the City of San Francisco will be
used to flush the toilets, reducing the use of potable
water for waste water conveyance by 90%.
● Saltwater for the aquarium will be piped in from the
Pacific Ocean, minimizing the use of potable water for
aquarium systems.
41. PASSIVE DESIGN FEATURES
THERMAL BUFFERING
● The cooling is achieved by providing
thermal buffering.
● Because of which sunlight doesn’t fall
directly on the indoor elements.
● The shaded outdoors and transition keeps
inside temperature cool.
42. INFERENCES
● Architectural styles involved in the structure are Postmodern Architecture, Futurist
architecture ,Expressionist architecture.
● The building connects two spherical units forming a whole new structure.
● It is actually transparent, connecting it visually with the Golden Park.
● This “living roof” is covered plants planted in specially conceived biodegradable
coconut-fibre containers.
● The Museum has an automated ventilation system that regulates the temperatures
inside the building.
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