July 2015  |  High Performance Building Magazine

Detailed article on the IUB/OCA Building, with a focus on more aspects of the project including lessons learned, user engagement, and ongoing performance of the building.

MOVING FROM A CAVE-LIKE WAREHOUSE to an environment filled with daylight represented a dramatic shift for employees of the Iowa Utilities Board and Office of Consumer Advocate (IUB/OCA). Employees jumped on board with the energy-efficiency efforts, giving up comforts such as individual coffee makers, and opening and closing windows as needed to operate the natural ventilation system. An integrated design that maximizes passive strategies provides significant energy savings, but employee cooperation, especially involving plug load reduction, has proven key to reaching and maintaining performance goals.