Clifford L. Allenby Building Receives USRC Platinum Rating

Clifford L. Allenby Building Receives USRC Platinum Rating

December 26, 2019

The Clifford L. Allenby Building, a new office building for the State of California Department of General Services, has achieved the U.S. Resiliency Council (USRC) Platinum Rating. It is the first state-owned building in California to receive the USRC Rating, embodying the state’s and project team’s commitment to safety and resiliency.

The USRC Building Rating System describes the expected impacts of an earthquake or other natural disaster on buildings. It considers the performance of a building’s structure, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and architectural components such as cladding, windows, partitions, and ceilings.

The rating system assigns one to five stars along the dimensions of Safety, Damage (expressed as repair cost) and Recovery (expressed as time to regain basic function). The Platinum Rating represents the highest level of building performance and is intended to exceed modern codes.

Platinum-rated buildings are expected to suffer negligible damage, less than 5% of replacement cost, and allow functional recovery within a few days of a major seismic event. The USRC Platinum rating is sought by owners who demand the highest level of asset protection and virtually uninterrupted functionality of their operations.

ZGF, as part of an integrated design-build team with Lionakis and Rudolph & Sletten, is designing the 11-story Clifford L. Allenby Building. KPFF, a founding member of USRC, is the structural engineer for the project. Set to open in 2021, the 374,000 SF, net-zero energy office building will transform and modernize the workplace environment for three state agencies, focus on employee wellness, and set new benchmarks for energy and water conservation. The building also targets LEED Platinum.