Located at the edge of San Francisco Bay, the first phase of the new Facebook headquarters showcases a 500,000 sq-ft open plan workspace, including offices, conference rooms, support spaces and extensive amenities. The 9-acre green roof contains a biodiverse ecosystem of drought-resistant plants and trees, extraordinary views of the Bay, and paths for walking and exercise dotted with skylights that daylight the workspace below.

SERVICES

Daylighting improves the quality of visual comfort while reducing energy use. We use scale physical models and calibrated simulations with RADIANCE software and proprietary scripts to:
• Predict and evaluate illumination levels and light distribution
• Predict and analyze luminance gradients and glare potential
• Analyze thermal and energy use implications of daylighting design
• Design and evaluate daylighting to exhibition and curatorial performance criteria
• Predict energy savings from daylight harvesting
• Coordinate daylighting and electrical lighting design
• Post-occupancy HDRI analysis of luminance and visual comfort
Effective shading reduces glare and minimizes solar heat gain without impeding the use of daylight for visual tasks. We assist the architect to design shading appropriate to the program, the climate and context of the project. We use scale physical models and calibrated models with RADIANCE software to:
• Analyze site conditions for solar access and shade potential
• Design sun control and glare control alternatives for local skies and climate conditions
• Evaluate shade alternatives for visual and thermal comfort

Loisos and Ubbelohde provided daylighting design to provide daylight through the large single room floor plate, including custom skylight design, mock-up and testing as well as shade selection and controls. Post-occupancy we provided assistance with lighting controls commissioning and programming.