The California Academy of Sciences, founded in 1853, has undergone many transformations in its history: physical, programmatic, and financial. After 87 years in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, and withstanding the impacts of the Loma Prieta earthquake, 125 million visitors, and the constant flow of salt water running through its Steinhart Aquarium for over 80 years, the Academy decided to tear down its old buildings and rebuild in the Park. This paper discusses the rationale for attempting to design and build a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum-rated facility, the focus on sustainability in programmatic interpretation, and the financial issues for the Academy, before and after opening in late 2008. The triple bottom line of ecological, social, and financial criteria will be the yardstick used to evaluate the success of the project.
