The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) provides retirement and health benefit services to more then 1.6 million public employees, retirees and their families and more than 2,500 public employers. Located in Sacramento, CA, the original CalPERS headquarters, located in Lincoln Plaza North building, was completed in 1986. It is connected via an underground car and pedestrian passageway to the new Lincoln Plaza East and West buildings, a combined office and retail space comprised of 560,000 square feet the was completed in 2005. The new buildings are LEED certified Gold in New Construction by the US Green Building Council.

Recently Dreyfus and Blackford Architects of Sacramento, CA was engaged to update the original building at Lincoln Plaza North to achieve LEED EB (existing building) Silver Certification. For nearly 60 years the firm has operated on the cutting edge of innovation. Founded in the Modernist tradition, Dreyfus and Blackford specializes in sustainable design. Creating lasting and efficient buildings is the forefront of their design concept, which is why the firm enjoys long-standing relationships with many of their clients who return again and again for updates and new projects. Project Manager Greg Schulmeister talked with Surface & Panel about the renovation of CalPERS’ dining space, an area referred to as the Servery. Careful selection of materials, including MDF from SierraPine and Wilsonart HPL, made significant contributions to the building’s upgraded LEED status.

S&P: How did Dreyfus and Blackburn become involved with the CalPERS renovation?

Schulmeister: The firm did the original building in Sacramento in 1985, so it has always been involved. Last year CalPERS made the decision to go for LEED EB (existing building) Silver certification. We have longstanding relationships with many clients, so we are often asked to do renovations and new projects for existing clients.

S&P: What changes were made to the Servery to improve its Green Building status?

Schulmeister: The Servery, which is the dining facility, had to be updated. The overall space had to be increased, so we removed a portion of the exterior wall and expanded the area of the Servery. All the equipment needed to be modernized, so we brought in a food service consultant who designed the layout of the equipment. With that layout in mind, we designed the interior environment.

S&P: Were their specific aesthetic design objectives for the space?

Schulmeister: They wanted the Servery to look different from the rest of the building. The idea was to create a space that would give a sense of being somewhere different for lunch. Conceptually, CalPERS wanted to provide employees with a change of scenery so their break felt more like a respite from the workday.

S&P: How was that accomplished?

Schulmeister: We designed the Servery renovation to have a high-end retail look. To do that we used a lot of rich colors and robust surfaces. Of course anytime you are designing in a commercial space, it is absolutely important to make certain the materials you put into that space can withstand heavy usage. In the case of the Servery, not only are employees coming through everyday to eat, but the place is deep cleaned on a daily basis.

S&P: What materials did you specify?

Schulmeister: We used Tree Frog Veneer wall panels with a finish that has little stained stripes. It is actually individually stained wood so the visual is very intriguing. It adds a real feeling of elegance to the area. We chose Wilsonart HPL in a maple design for the case work. Because it is a food service area the Health Department came out and inspected everything before the space could be used. All the finish materials had to be smooth and washable.

S&P: What special considerations were made to help achieve the LEED EB Silver certification?

Schulmeister: When we were choosing materials we were looking for NAUF panels that were made from recycled content and met the LEED requirement of being manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the site. Plus the local Fire Marshall is kind of particular and the entire building had to adhere to Class 1 fire ratings. SierraPine Medite FR MDF panels were used as the substrate for both the wall panels and the case work. The product fits all of the requirements for indoor air quality, local manufacturing and flame spread. It is obviously versatile, as we were able to specify it in different applications, and the fabricators say it is easy to machine. As a designer I have to be very careful when choosing materials, not only does it have to meet the green building requirements, but it has to last.