Gallery: NASA’s New LEED Platinu...

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Situated at Moffet Field in Mountain View, California, the $25 million NASA Sustainability Base features a front facade that takes design cues from the International Space Station. At a media unveiling today Green architect and Cradle to Cradle founder William McDonough explained that his team sought to design a building that was “native to place” – meaning that it was carefully designed to suit its site while maximizing efficiency and actually creating a positive impact upon the environment. The 50,000 square-foot structure was built from the ground up to meld with its surrounding environment and make the most of available daylight, natural ventilation, and shading.

The building’s relatively narrow 54-foot width allows daylight to reach the middle of each floor, and the entire building is wrapped in an exoskeleton that provides shade while allowing light and air to flow inside the building. This exoskeleton also provides great seismic stability and allows the interior to have a column-free floor plan.

Photos by Mike Chino for Inhabitat