Stanley Center for Peace and Security

Project Description

The Stanley Center for Peace and Security partners with individuals, organizations, the private sector, and governments to drive policy progress toward halting the use and spread of nuclear weapons, preventing mass violence and atrocities, and mitigating climate change.

Seeking new headquarters that would reflect their core values and commitment to mitigating climate change, the Stanley Center chose to renovate a 13,000-square-foot former library and pursue Living Building Certification (LBC), the world's most rigorous performance standard for buildings. Biohabitats provided design and engineering services to help the project meet the stringent requirements of the LBC's water petal, which include Net Zero water. Biohabitats began by working the integrated design team to explore and enrich their understanding of and identify opportunities for onsite rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, and innovative stormwater management. Biohabitats then led the design, engineering, and permitting of creative, sustainable water infrastructure.

A rainwater harvesting system which includes two 6,250 gallon cisterns provides for all of the building's potable and non-potable water demands. Runoff from the hard rooftops and PV panels is also captured for treatment. Incoming rainwater passes through inlet filtration prior to entering the cisterns. Cistern water is treated through a potable water treatment skid and pressurized for distribution throughout the building to meet potable and non-potable demands (including irrigation). The Stanley Center is also offsetting the wastewater sent to the municipal system by investing in water efficiency measures in a neighboring property.