Presentation Center -
Santa Cruz

In 2004, AGC provided design-assist services for Presentation Center in the Santa Cruz mountains. The Center was an approximately 10,000 sqft new building that included a kitchen, several dining room areas, bookstore, and associated support space. The building was certified LEED gold, and incorporated unusual design elements such as straw bale wall construction and a living roof.

The scope of work for mechanical included the installation of all kitchen plumbing, the integration of evaporative cooling air handlers with night cooling controls, CO2 sensors, and automated window operators, and the installation of a radiant floor heating system. The heating system for the kitchen was combined with the heating system for the radiant floor to maximize efficiency and redundancy. The complete system was fitted with a solar preheat system to reduce the cost of heating makeup water.

AGC provided assistance with calculations, documentation, and system testing to the lead mechanical engineers on the project in order to complete the LEED paperwork required to achieve certification. At completion, Presentation Center became the first building in Santa Clara County to achieve gold certification.

AGC now has two LEED certified professionals on staff and is actively pursuing opportunities to work on other LEED certified buildings. We have the expertise it takes to anticipate and respond to LEED's performance requirements early in the project to ensure that the LEED points that are anticipated by the owner and the design team will actually be achieved at the end of the project.