When San Mateo County set out to build a new office building, the goal was to make an impression but not break the bank. The solution was to create the country’s first net-zero energy and low-carbon civic building with timber as the primary building material.
Located in California’s Bay Area near the heart of downtown Redwood City, the San Mateo County Office Building 3—better known by its acronym COB3 —is the county’s equivalent of a city hall. Initially the plans were for a concrete structure, but budgetary concerns led officials to request alternative options.