This is a nice building to work in,” says Assistant City Manager Hugh Riley proudly, conducting a tour of the sparkling structure. The city saved for 20 years to be able to build the $11 million building without going into debt. Because of its energy-efficient design and strategic use of durable, easy-care materials, the new building should continue to save money for the city for many years.

The building houses Moorpark’s Police Department, the northeast county operations of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, and the local station of the California Highway Patrol—possibly the first time city, county, and state law enforcement agencies have coexisted under the same roof. It also boasts a multipurpose training room designed to serve as an Emergency Operations Center. This room, with noise-damping acoustic panels on the wall and variable lighting options, literally received a trial by fire: Barely a year after the building was occupied, the Shekell Fire burned over 13,500 acres in and around Moorpark. The County Office of Emergency Services chose to share Moorpark’s command post rather than open the County EOC in Ventura, about 20 miles away. The facility performed beautifully, Riley says.

Many of the building’s design features are intended to save energy and reduce maintenance costs, says architect Keith McCloskey of WWCOT in Santa Monica.

A shining example of daylighting. Great care was taken to maximize the amount of daylight throughout the building while keeping the heat outside. The result is a bright, cheerful atmosphere in walkways and offices.

Natural daylight flows into 90% of the interior spaces, McCloskey says. That is one of the goals specified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification process created by the U.S. Green Building Council. Although McCloskey is a LEED Accredited Professional and many of the building’s features meet LEED standards, the city opted not to spend the time and money required to win official LEED certification.

High-performance windows on all sides of the building let in the light while blocking out the heating rays. A wide vestibule shades the south-facing main entry door, and a steel grid over west-facing windows minimizes afternoon heat gain while still allowing unimpeded views. Away from the outside walls, natural light floods into corridors and rooms by way of “light monitors”—4-foot-square towers with north-facing windows that provide the benefits of a skylight without the heat gain. Especially in the Emergency Operations Center, where it’s easy to imagine dozens of busy people working around the clock in stressful conditions during a crisis, the Southern California sunlight streaming in from many directions feels pleasant and calming.

Lighting uses T-5 and T-8 fluorescent fixtures that produce a combination of direct and indirect light, and motion sensors turn the lights off when everyone leaves the room. Altogether, the building’s energy-efficient lighting and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems will save nearly 15,000 kWh per year, which earned an incentive payment from Southern California Edison's Savings By Design program. That was a one-time payment, but lower electric bills (estimated savings this year: $1,900) are something Moorpark taxpayers will keep enjoying forever.

The building also features a highly reflective “cool roof” that reduces heat gain and eases the load on the high-efficiency air conditioning system.

Because a police station expects to get heavy use, sometimes from people who aren’t particularly happy to be there, McCloskey emphasized durable, low-maintenance materials. Floors of all public corridors are covered with Marmoleum, a material made from recycled linseed oil that doesn’t need to be finished or waxed. Thanks to heavy-duty “walk-off” doormats designed to remove mud and dirt from shoes, it doesn’t even need to be swept as often.

Instead of relatively fragile drywall, walls in the lobby and hallways are lined with panels of formaldehyde-free medium density fiberboard (MDF) that has been stained or sealed with zero-VOC products. The panels provide sound buffering and are more resistant to dents and dings than drywall.

“A lot of green building is about lifespan and low maintenance,” says McCloskey, “so the panels are easy to replace if one should become damaged.”

Similarly, the recycled-content carpet in many areas consists of 2-foot-square tiles, to simplify replacement in case of stains or damage. Tile and quartz-stone countertops also incorporate recycled materials, and are extra durable. The concrete includes a percentage of fly-ash, a power-plant waste product that produces even stronger concrete than standard cement. And the steel roof joists and rebar also include recycled material.

Special attention was paid to factors that protect the health of the building’s occupants, including the abundant daylight, pleasant views, and necessary security measures such as bullet-proof glass. Carpeting, wall panels, paints, and other finishes were chosen to be free from VOCs and other off-gassing chemicals. Photocopiers are isolated in special rooms that vent their fumes outside rather than allowing them to mix with the rest of the building’s air supply. A break room includes a shaded outdoor patio with chairs and table.

Outdoor lighting is focused downward to minimize light pollution. Rainwater drains into bioswales planted with native grasses, and trees will provide at least 50% shade when they mature. Landscaping uses drought-tolerant and native plants to minimize need for irrigation.

Among all the other considerations that went into creating a building that was cost-effective, energy-efficient, and earth-friendly, McCloskey worked hard to use materials that did not have to be transported long distances—increasing their cost in energy-use and pollution.

“I tried to source all our materials within 500 miles,” he says.