Google’s new OC HQ in Irvine is the only LEED Platinum multi-story office building in SoCal (of about 25 Plat buildings so far). Westgroup managing principal Sima Hassani, whose firm designed it, tells us that uber-green buildings aren't only about the environment any more--employee health is rapidly becoming a concern.

Sima says today’s tenants are still demanding office space that has a positive impact on the well-being of the environment, but they also want space that promotes the health of their employees. Toward that end, WestGroup and Google are working on a Living Building Challenge certification for the new HQ. Living Building’s a highly rigorous set of standards, and one of its goals is to eliminate all materials that compromise the health of occupants.

A lot of factors needed to be in place to create a LEED Platinum project of this scope, Sima says (it's not just about checking items off a list). “It has to meet the needs of the tenant, be in line with timeline and budget, and with the entire team--contractor, developer, architect and other consultants." The new Google building incorporates design elements such as the use of energy efficient, 10-foot-high monolithic glass; streamlined structural design; exterior balconies; and 45-foot interior bay depths. Besides contributing to sustainability of the project, these features also represented savings on construction costs, she says.