Architect: Gould Evans
Support: HDR Architects, Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker, TransSystems Corporation, MWH Americas, RBF Consulting.
124,000 sq. ft.
90,000 sq. ft. Under Building Parking
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Awards: LEED Gold Certified 
NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
La Jolla, California
The GDS design team provided architectural and engineering services and ongoing construction administration services for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s new consolidated laboratory for its Southwest Fisheries Science Center. The $55 million, 124,000 SF building sits near a coastal bluff next to the La Jolla Shores beach on the Pacific Ocean. The state-of-the-art facility houses both office and laboratory spaces as well as a one-of-a-kind 500,000 gallon acoustical tank for aquatic research.
Because the location is ideal for the use of natural ventilation, the floor plan maximizes the amount of perimeter walls to allow use of the ‘sea breeze’ and daylight harvesting. The lighting control system incorporates both daylight sensors and occupancy sensors to help minimize energy consumption in unoccupied spaces or spaces with abundant daylight. One of the project’s most notable features, GDS designed the solar roof complete with 826, Sharp 240 w module-type stand-up solar panels and two 100kw inverters from Satcon Technology Corporation. The Solar rack system features both a penetrating and ballasted support configuration.
This roof top photovoltaic power provides a 7% reduction annually in the amount of electricity needed to be pulled from the public power grid. That’s enough energy to power 40 houses and to assist the region in diminishing peak electrical load demand.
