Cathay Bank acquired the 102,548 sf commercial building to do a complete renovation and seismic upgrade to the facility. Rather than raze the structure, the team recycled it, creating a “green” corporate center for Cathay Bank. Saiful Bouquet worked closely with the architect to completely upgrade the building, including a complete replacement of the building façade.
The structural solution added a new BRBF (Buckling Restrained Braced Frame) retrofit with concrete moment frames for the interior. The building design sharply reduces energy and water use. Additionally, the high-performance glass curtain wall on the exterior not only assists in lighting but dramatically modernizes the building.
The seating of workstations, conference rooms, lighting systems that take advantage of natural light, and other energy and water-saving measures – including use of low-flow and waterless restroom fixtures – all support a building design that reduces environmental impacts. The Cathay Bank Corporate Center uses 31 percent less energy, 47 percent less interior lighting and 65 percent less water than a non-green building of comparable size.
