APEX - Mass Timber Headquarters

AWARDS

AIA DC, 2023

Net Zero Energy -

LOCATION

Charlottesville, VA

CLIENT

Apex Clean Energy

PROGRAM

Multi-tenant office space

AREA

187,000 sf

STATUS

Completed 2022


TEAM

William McDonough + Partners, Design Architect

Staengl Engineers, MEP Engineers & Energy Modeling

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Structural Engineers + Facade & Waterproofing Consultant

ARUP, Mass Timber Fire Engineering Consultant

Collins Engineering, Civil Engineers

Loisos + Ubbelohde, Lighting Consultant

Charles M. Salter Associates, Acoustics Consultant

Hourigan, Contractor

FORM Architects, Architects of Apex Clean Energy Spaces

Prakash Patel, Photographer



Apex Clean Energy’s headquarters is built with a Mass Timber wood structure and healthy materials while harvesting daylight and energy from the sun. A total of 875 roof-and canopy-mounted solar panels is expected to produce 364 MWh of energy per year, enough to equate to net-positive energy use by the Apex offices.

Implementing Mass Timber products brings natural beauty to occupants while allowing for transparency in material sourcing, material health, material reutilization and carbon management. By assembling the building using only mechanical fasteners, the high-value MT elements can be harvested from the structure and reused so that the material can return to industry for next use as part of the circular economy.

The building also prioritizes occupant well-being, offering excellent views to natural light, lighting controls and operable shades, and Cradle to Cradle Certified™ products were incorporated where possible. Meanwhile, the structure’s green roof creates habitat to promote biodiversity and stormwater retention.

The project was led by Alastair Reilly while Design Partner at William McDonough + Partners and is located in Charlottesville, VA.