Building materials - measures the use of recycled, indigenous and sustainable products and even includes recycling plans for future building occupants. Indoor air quality - including how fumes from carpet glues and other possibly noxious materials are aired from the construction site. For the Bren School, designers incorporated several techniques related to each area. The building's location near the ocean eliminated the need for air conditioning. Instead, operable windows will allow ocean breezes to flow through the building for natural cooling.
Office furniture is made from husks and newspapers.
Old tires have found new life as floor tiles. Toilets flush with reclaimed water. But Bren Hall went a little further. Bren Hall was the name of the school several years ago when the architecture firm began its original design for the project. The focus changed after UCSB received a construction contribution from Donald Bren, chairman of the Irvine Co. and a staunch supporter or environmental habitat and wildlife conservation.