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Greening Success Story: The Presidio of San Francisco, California The Presidio of
San Francisco includes nearly 1,500 acres of land near
San Francisco Bay. Used by military personnel as a garrison by Spain,
Mexico, and finally the United States since 1776, the Presidio was
transferred to the National Park Service (NPS) in 1994. In 1996, Federal
legislation created a nonprofit Federal government corporation, the
Presidio Trust, to manage the new park.
At a Presidio greening charrette held in 1995, 125 participants began
planning the future of the park, including elements of historic
preservation. They formed a community team that included military tenants,
new nonprofit tenants, and local community groups. The team members are
committed to sustainability and to testing new technologies, among other
greening elements. A nonprofit Presidio Alliance was formed that brings
together individuals, nonprofits, and businesses to promote ecological
integrity, social equity, and economic viability to achieve a sustainable
future community of the Presidio.
Continuing the greening initiatives started by the NPS, the Presidio
Trust is developing a sustainable development program that includes green
buildings, water conservation, waste management, and transportation
alternatives. This commitment ensures that, as the Presidio community
grows, resource and environmental conservation practices are incorporated
into everyday activities. By preparing for the future, the Presidio will
provide an exceptional quality of life for visitors and tenants today and
in the years to come.
The Thoreau Center for Sustainability, housed in the Presidio, is the
first public/private partnership in a national park that combined
sustainable design principles with historic design criteria in renovating
four of the Presidio's buildings. Since its opening in April 1996, the
Thoreau Center has been the home of the Tides Foundation, the Tides
Center, Materials for the Future, the Energy Foundation, the Wilderness
Society, and more than 20 other nonprofit organizations that are working
directly on issues of social and environmental sustainability.
Building Energy
Several energy conservation measures have been implemented at the
Presidio, from increasing daylighting in buildings to shutting down a
wasteful, antiquated central steam plant. Energy-efficient package boilers
are used in the rehabilitated buildings. Compact fluorescent lighting,
task lighting, and occupancy sensors are also used. ENERGY STAR®-rated appliances are
specified, and a building-integrated skylight photovoltaic (solar
electric) system was installed on one building. A demand-side management
contract has helped to save money and energy, and energy audits are being
conducted in buildings scheduled for rehabilitation.
Water
Water-saving efforts include retrofitting plumbing systems with
low-flow fixtures, switching to drip irrigation, and using
drought-tolerant plants. The golf course uses satellite monitoring and
weather monitoring to avoid overwatering. Pesticide use has been cut back,
which is helping Mountain Lake to stay cleaner. The Presidio is also
planning to use reclaimed water for irrigation from the City of
San Francisco.
Transportation
Public transportation is being developed. A new "quick-fill natural gas
fill station" is used by NPS and Presidio Trust employees as cars and
trucks are converted to CNG (compressed natural gas). Electric shuttles
for internal use are also being considered. New tenants at the Presidio
are required to develop a transportation plan as a condition for being a
tenant. At the greening charrette, the transportation team requested that
bicycle racks be installed throughout the park.
Solid Waste
The charrette's waste-reduction team identified the need for an on-site
recycling center. A lease was signed with a recycling organization that
began operating the center in April 1999. The San Francisco
Conservation Corps is coordinating recycling collection, processing, and
education. Public containers and office containers are being provided, as
well as waste-reduction training.
In 1996, building removal at Crissy Field included a pilot
deconstruction project. Buildings were dismantled board-by-board; the wood
was sold primarily to local crafts people and builders. The Presidio's
sustainability policy regarding rehabilitation, reuse, and recycling of
buildings lists the following priorities: (1) adaptive reuse in
place, (2) moving the building, (3) deconstruction, and
(4) demolition. The Presidio Trust will contract with a crew to
salvage building materials. Concrete from the Letterman building was to be
crushed and recycled as road base.
Additional efforts include the hiring of a compost specialist to
coordinate park-wide composting and the establishment of a native plant
nursery. The Presidio also uses recycled plastic wood for boardwalks and
makes use of other recycled products and materials.
Building Design and Construction
The Presidio's staff and teams emphasize preservation rather than new
construction. They are developing Sustainable Design and Building
Guidelines that include goals and standards for new building and historic
rehabilitation projects. One theme of the guidelines is to look for and
preserve the "original intelligence" that may have been nearly renovated
out of the buildings. Original intelligence refers to the original
sustainable aspects of the building, such as natural ventilation and
daylighting.
Site Planning and Landscaping
The natural resource area includes native plant revegetation and
removal of exotic and non-native plants. An extensive native plant nursery
has been established; drought-tolerant and native plants and grasses will
be used extensively. The restoration of the Presidio's neglected, polluted
Mountain Lake was an important focus of the greening charrette.
Pollution Prevention and Indoor Air Quality
A major park tenant, the Thoreau Center for Sustainability, has used
low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) materials, natural floorings, cotton
insulation, and recycled materials in the renovation of its facility. The
Presidio Trust Sustainable Design and Building Guidelines will include air
quality provisions.
Education
Waste-reduction training is being developed for staff and tenants.
Future plans call for further development of comprehensive sustainability
education programs. Tenants who bring innovative technologies, education
programs, and other benefits are actively sought.
For More Information, Contact:
Aimee Vincent Director of Strategic Planning And See These Web Sites:
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