Starting with a baseline model that has preliminary curtain walls, but otherwise generic features (walls, floors, roof, etc.), the Insight analysis gave a mean EUI of 55 kBTU/ft2/yr. Driving the design is the idea of a lofted roof shape that draws inspiration from the rolling hills in the dish. The shape of the roof drapes/hangs over the building to give a curved shape to an otherwise rectangular building, and provides shading as well. The large curtain walls allow for daylighting and views.
Changing the operating schedule (12/7), plug load efficiency (0.6-1.0 W/sf), lighting efficiency (0.3-0.7 W/sf), roof construction (anything insulated), and payback limit (20-30yr), brings the mean down to 26.9 kBTU/sf/yr.
Next, I changed the wall, floor, and roof properties. The exterior walls consist of 1/4" thick double glazed low-E (e = 0.05) curtain wall panels, and insulated CMU walls. The bottom floor slab is an 8" concrete slab with 4" of rigid insulation. The 2nd floor is simply a lightweight concrete metal deck.
The roof was then patterned with hex panels that can be solid (green roof material) or glazed (to serve as a skylight), depending on the building needs. I started with an entirely green roof.
I did a daylighting analysis for June 21st, without any skylight panels. On the first floor, the interior rooms could use some interior windows to bring more light in, while the bathrooms and mechanical rooms can rely on artificial lighting. On the second floor, skylights could be placed above the middle to provide natural light for the bathrooms and storage room. Skylights could also be placed above the back end of the building, above the atrium, to provide more natural light for the exhibit spaces and the offices on the first floor. The front of the building is getting a lot of light, so automated shading devices could be implemented there.
Further adjustments could be made to the interior windows and the roof paneling, but the current design is:
