Silverspur

Palos Verdes, California

Silverspur is a 30,000 square foot renovation to a modernist office building located on the Palos Verdes peninsula in Southern California. On the interior small offices were removed to create large, open loft spaces and sustainable design elements were integrated. On the exterior a new façade was developed to modernize and increase the energy efficiency of the building. 

A green roof was added to provide thermal mass and insulate the interior from solar gain while allowing for rainwater collection and percolation on site. Radiant heat was added below the new concrete topping slabs to reduce reliance on the forced-air heating system. New high-efficiency fixtures and equipment, recycled carpeting and tile were added through-out the building, and full height vision glass was used to maximize daylight and reduce the need for artificial light.

The building façade is composed of perforated, micro-laminated solar fabric stretched over steel frames that are anchored to the cantilevered concrete building slabs at various angles depending on solar orientation and building program. The solar fabric reflects 80% of the incoming solar gain while allowing for full transmission of natural daylight so that from inside one has complete views of the landscape and city beyond. The material also changes the appearance of the building throughout the day depending on the position of the sun, appearing opaque in the direct sun, translucent as the sun moves oblique to the façade, and transparent as a theater scrim at night.