There is no air-conditioning. Instead, a computer system monitors internal and external temperatures and adjusts openings in the envelope accordingly. Rainwater is collected on the roof, filtered, and stored. It is used to clean the roof, flush the toilets, and water the lawns. A photovoltaic array on the roof and the south and west facades provides plenty of electrical power.
Surplus power is stored and used at night and during periods of low light.
The rest of the surplus energy is channeled into the public power supply. Trees shade the facade in summer. This innovative complex proves that daring design can be generated by ecological solutions. The lessons are that real change comes from economic or political forces and that most ecological architecture is just good sense. These lessons will aid architects in the next millennium who will increasingly design buildings for nonvirgin sites.