Eco-centre opens in California

The Brower Center, a $28 million eco-building in San Francisco, is set to open this week.

The state-of-the-art four storey office building will be home to at least 10 environmental charities.

According to the building’s designers, it is ‘a powerful model of sustainable mixed-use development’.

Over half the materials used in construction were recycled, and the building has been awarded the highest rating for green construction.

Eco-technology at the centre includes photovoltaic panels, rainwater reuse for irrigation and toilets, 100% daylighting, and automatic controls to limit energy use.

Other key features of the centre include a 180-seat theatre, art galleries, a restaurant, meeting rooms, and other spaces open to the public.

The centre’s management hope the building will become a hotbed of environmental activism, serving as a meeting place for environmentalists, activists, and scientists.

A spokesperson for the centre said: “The architectural design of the Brower Center follows the example of some of Europe’s most distinguished recent green buildings in both its contextual fit and use of innovative technologies.”