TOENISKOETTER & BREEDING BUILDING SHOWCASE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR ELECTRICAL WORKERS UNION
October 12, 2000

SAN JOSE -- Toeniskoetter & Breeding Inc., (TBI) Construction has begun work on Silicon Valley offices for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) that are designed to be a showcase of 21st century energy efficiency.

Not only will "sustainable" and "green" techniques be employed in the siting, design and materials used in the building, but photovoltaic panels that transform sunlight into electricity will be part of the actual structure.

"We're using brick, glass, polyurethane roofing and other low-maintenance materials," TBI Executive Vice President Dan Breeding said. "With its advanced technology and enduring style, the IBEW Labor Hall will look as good in 50 years as it does on the day it is finished."

The Electrical Workers building is being built on a parcel behind the headquarters of the Building and Construction Trades at 2102 Almaden Road in San Jose. At 29,200 square feet, the IBEW building will be almost as large as the 30,000-square-foot Labor Temple, which TBI Construction completed in 1997. The new building will include a 6,000-square-foot meeting hall, which will be available for rent by other groups and organizations when not being used for union activities.

The exterior of the single-story IBEW building, for which Toeniskoetter & Breeding provided development as well as construction services, will feature rounded corners and expanses of bronze tinted glass. Designed by Anderson Brule Architects of San Jose, the exterior is inspired by TBI Development's recently completed Heritage Financial Center in Morgan Hill, headquarters for Heritage Bank of Commerce South County. The design, however, also draws significantly from a PG&E siting study and energy tests, and the recommendations of Steven Strong, a Massachusetts architect nationally known for energy-efficient designs.

Environmental Savings

"We want people to see what can be done with buildings," said Jay James, IBEW project manager who is also a San Jose Planning Commissioner and former member of the City of San Jose Green Building Task Force. "We want school administrators, government officials and corporate building officers to see what they can do. Our planet can only stand so much, and we're aiming to do our part to help it."

Energy-efficient design elements include:
o Double-paned, bronzed, extra-tall windows and skylights to provide as much natural light as possible.
o Reflective, insulating, low-maintenance polyurethane roof.
o A total "smart" building. Lighting, temperature, security, fire alarm, smoke detectors all controlled by computer for optimum efficiency.
o Low-irrigation landscaping.

The building itself exceeds the State Title 24 efficiency standards by 15%. Then the imaginative photovoltaic system with solar panels adds additional efficiency.

Skylights Make Electricity

On the roof, there will be three skylights. The north side of each skylight is window glass. On the south side, the glass is a photovoltaic collector. Also on the roof will be 2,400 square feet of flat panel photovoltaic collectors that will be integrated into the polyurethane roofing. A central architectural element, a glass pyramid skylight, comprises glass on the north and east, but photovoltaic collectors on the south and west sides.

The electricity from these collectors will flow to a mechanical room where it can be used to augment and reduce electricity provided by PG&E. James said he anticipates the power generated will be sufficient to provide all lighting or contribute significantly to the power needed for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Construction of the IBEW offices began in mid-July and is expected to be completed in 2001, Breeding said. The entrance to the new building will be off Canoas Garden Avenue near its intersection with Almaden Road.

The building is the third that TBI Construction has built for Labor. In addition to the adjacent "Labor Temple," it also constructed the Carpenters' Union Training Center in TBI Development's Cochrane Business Ranch in Morgan Hill.

Since its inception in 1983, San Jose-based Toeniskoetter & Breeding Inc. Construction has completed more than $400 million in projects throughout the Bay Area. The company specializes in high-end professional and corporate offices, historical restoration and renovation, medical office buildings and new buildings for TBI's own portfolio and others.