Eugene City Hall Complex Master Plan

» Home

» New to the Project?

	Upcoming Meetings & Events
More to come in September after the city council's summer break. » Learn more about Upcoming Events Can't attend? » View live webcasts or watch on Metro TV, cable channel 21 Connect with Us Project presentations are available for groups and organizations. » Contact us

Why a New City Hall?
A Model of Sustainability

Related Project Value:
Embody environmental stewardship

Related Council Position Statement:
Incorporate meaningful sustainable design goals

» See the complete list of Project Values & Position Statements [pdf]

Eugenians agree: A new Eugene City Hall should be a model of sustainability – both in its use of energy and in the design and building materials used. Eugene could lead the state in building a green, energy efficient and sustainable City Hall. This would demonstrate that we are “walking the talk” by making our public buildings reduce energy use, limit the production of greenhouse gases, and conserve precious natural resources like water.

A Vision of Sustainability – Eugene’s New City Hall

A Solar City Hall for Eugene

Solar Panels

Imagine Eugene’s Solar City Hall – an elegant and informed integration of space planning, site orientation, architecture, systems engineering, and on-site renewable energy generation – which could support up to 25% of the project’s total energy needs with on-site solar photovoltaic systems in the form of integrated rooftop, window shading, and wall cladding elements. With the remaining electrical energy purchased through Eugene Water and Electric Board’s (EWEB’s) Wind Power program, the new City Hall could achieve a carbon-neutral performance from its first day of operation.

A Model of Energy Efficiency

Daylighting

Our new City Hall will achieve ultra-high energy efficiency through the principles of integrated design. Integrated design responds to climate, use, loads, and systems in a manner that first reduces the need for artificial lighting and mechanical heating, and cooling - and then maximizes the efficiency of the building systems. Several building design and operating strategies can be combined creatively in an integrated approach such as optimal orientation, high efficiency building envelopes, integrated daylighting and electric lighting, purchasing Energy Star equipment, using thermal mass in combination with night ventilation pre-cooling, naturally ventilated cooling, energy recovery, advanced air distribution systems, and ground-coupled heat pumping. By adapting integrated design concepts to our new City Hall, it is possible to reduce heating loads as much as 35%, reduce cooling loads as much as 55%, and reduce annual energy consumption as much as 65% relative to today’s energy codes. This would set a new standard of energy performance for the City’s buildings and serve as a model for the Eugene community.

A Healthier Building
Two design strategies that consistently contribute to the health and well-being of building occupants are daylighting and natural ventilation. All concept options for our new City Hall have been developed with these strategies in mind. The building will enhance productivity and be a place that staff and residents will enjoy.

A Building that Stands the Test of Time

Photo: Recycled Materials used for Landscaping

Recycled Building Materials

Eugene is a recognized leader in recycling. Reduce, reuse, recycle has been a repeated phrase at several of the community forums. We envision a building that is as relevant, beautiful, and stout 100 years from now as it is in its first decade of use, an adaptable and durable building that reduces the need for significant renovations or rebuilding in the future. Eugene's new City Hall would recycle everything during the construction process, and maximize the use of recycled products within its construction. Ultimately, the building will support ongoing recycling among residents and employees in a way that will make the community’s recycling leaders proud.

A City Hall that Builds Community
For many of us, sustainability is about building communities, not just community buildings. Cooperation and diversity are oft-repeated community values that have infused the planning and concept development process with numerous ideas and challenges. All concepts incorporate outdoor space as a significant element, and many community members have been willing to share their creative vision for what these outdoor spaces can represent both to the community and to the City Hall project. A City Hall that builds community is a contributive vision – both cooperative and diverse.

A Beautiful Building – Integrating Sustainability and Architecture
Ultimately, a sustainable City Hall must be beautiful. Good design can be felt more strongly than it can be explained. We are confident that mutual exploration of sustainability for Eugene’s City Hall will contribute greatly to the architecture – an architecture that will inspire pride within the community, and is welcoming and timeless.

Sustainable design features of a new City Hall could include:

» Building Orientation
» Daylighting
» Natural Ventilation
» Night Flushing
» Enhanced Building Envelope
» Green (Eco)Roofs
» Enhanced Heating and Cooling
» Photovoltaics (PV’s)
» Rainwater Harvesting
» Bioswales (Bios)
» Low Carbon Emissions (LCE)

Sustainability Resources:

» Eugene Mayor Piercy's Sustainable Business Initiative
» US Green Building Council
» Report: Eugene City Hall Life Cycle Costs [pdf]

» GET INVOLVED. IT’S YOUR CITY HALL.