San Jose’s skyline is host to a soon-to-be LEED certified residential tower slated to open later this month. Located in the heart of the city, just one block from San Jose State University, the 19-floor student housing project comprises 260 residential units (1,039 beds), with 14,700 SF for retail stores and restaurants on the ground floor. A fourth floor podium offers residents open space for leisure and social activities, while its central location affords easy access to the city’s many amenities.
We like to think of it as designing for maximum impact on a small footprint. It’s also an efficient way to achieve LEED certification. Virtually all of the points needed for certification were achieved during design phase review, so with submittal of the construction prerequisites and commissioning documents, we expect the building to be official in early Autumn.
“AMCAL Equities, LLC, is pleased to have incorporated many green features into The Grad San Jose’s design not only to reduce the building’s carbon imprint, but also to better serve its student residents with features such as plenty of bike storage and on-site bicycle maintenance shop,” said Percy Vaz, CEO of AMCAL Equities. “The fusion of close proximity to the San Jose State University campus, lots of local transit options, and many energy- and water-efficient features makes The Grad San Jose not only an eco-smart choice for students, but also a responsible new building in town.”
The Graduate implemented a variety of practical and measurable strategies to achieve high performance in the following areas:
Location, location, location: An infill site in the heart of San Jose within ½ mile of a wide array of transit and services, including the university.
Green Infrastructure: The design incorporated storage space for over 500 bicycles, along with an onsite bike maintenance shop, making access – and actual use – of the adjacent bicycle path network a breeze. Additionally, with a light rail line and up to a dozen bus routes within walking distance, the project was able to reduce total parking by over 50% from standard planning baselines. That all the parking was undercover brought one more bonus point.
Water: A 31% reduction in indoor water use was achieved through the use of highly efficient plumbing fixtures, while smart landscape design reduced outdoor water use by 61%.
Energy: The project is expected to use 32% less energy compared to similar buildings, utilizing features such as efficient exterior lighting design and a VRF system that reduced cooling and fan loads throughout the building.
Regional Priority credits: The Graduate achieved two regional priority credits for Access to Transit and Optimized Energy Performance.
Congratulations to the project team!
· Owner: AMCAL Equities, LLC
· Architect: Dan Sell, Swenson
· Contractor: Barry Swenson Builder
· LEED Consulting: In Balance Green Consulting
· Geotechnical Engineering: Cornerstone Earth Group
· Civil Engineer: Civil Engineering Associates
· Structural Engineer: Structural Engineering Solutions
· Mechanical/Plumbing Engineer: Fard Engineers
· Electrical Engineer: Fard Engineers
· Landscape Architect: Dillon Design Associates