Google’s first mass timber office building. This facade approach is not only a first for Google, but also the first Closed Cavity Facade (CCF) in North America.
2023 Facade Design and Engineering Award – International Innovation Project of the Year
Designed by Michael Green Architecture, this commercial development located at 1265 Borregas Avenue will open as Google’s first mass timber office building. The entire building is designed with an emphasis on timber which is visible both inside and out.
The facade is designed as a Closed Cavity Facade (CCF) incorporating timber blinds in the cavity. This chosen approach and incorporation of dynamic shading allows for optimum clear views out and in, while providing the required performance.
The blinds are located in an enclosed and hermetically sealed cavity which is fed with dry air to avoid any condensation. As a result, the facade performs significantly better than a traditional curtain wall. This approach has negated the requirement for traditional trench convectors which are typically used to address peak loads.
This chosen approach to facade design highlights the significant potential a facade has on the overall sustainability of a building, It demonstrates how a facade can reduce both embodied and operational energy in the long term as the scale of the mechanical systems can be reduced.
