Apex Plaza
A headquarters on the cutting edge of sustainable design.
At its core, Apex Plaza is a physical manifestation of the company’s mission.
By prioritizing clean power generation, green building materials, and state-of-the-art efficiency initiatives, Apex Plaza makes the transition from energy consumption to energy optimization.
187,000 sq. ft.
of office space
Apex Plaza’s architecture is underpinned by the Cradle to Cradle Design™ framework, modeled by world-renowned and Charlottesville-based architect William McDonough, and is characterized by three principles: to procure materials that can be repurposed, to use clean and renewable energy, and to celebrate diversity in nature and idea.
875 solar panels
powering 25% of the building’s footprint
The solar array produces approximately 364,000 kWh/year of electricity, the equivalent of 88 tons of recycling being saved from the landfill.
1.6 million board feet
of black spruce trees
The cross-laminated timber structure revolutionized the construction process: it provided schedule savings, created a safer work environment, and minimized community impact.
The black spruce in use at Apex Plaza represents seven minutes of growth in North American forests.
Mass timber framework
Timber is a renewable resource grown and harvested indefinitely, and it sequesters carbon from the atmosphere, storing that carbon for the lifetime of the structure. The mass timber in Apex Plaza creates a carbon benefit equal to the amount of energy needed to power 300 homes for a year. Read more about the benefits of timber.
Solar array
Half of the panels are mounted on the rooftop, while a second PV canopy, located on the building’s green roof terrace, provides shade for gatherings. For employees, visitors, and community members, the panels serve as a visual reminder of Apex’s priorities.
Green roof
In line with architect William McDonough’s aspiration to design buildings like trees, Apex Plaza’s green roof creates habitat to promote biodiversity and stormwater retention.
EV charging
The parking garage of Apex Plaza features more than a dozen electric vehicle charging stations fueled by the building’s solar array, allowing Apex employees to charge their electric vehicles with sunlight harvested in real time.
Energy efficiency
Apex Plaza features thermally broken window frames and rain screens, Solarban® 90 glass, a DensElement™ weather barrier, and Thermafiber insulation. The high-efficiency mechanical systems, such as refrigerant flow equipment and an energy recovery ventilator, result in low energy consumption and low operating costs.
Atrium
Each afternoon, as the sun peaks in the sky, light floods through the room’s skylight—drawing on the energy resource that powers Apex’s work and directing the team toward a common purpose. A stainless-steel floorplate runs parallel through the lobby: a visual reminder to maintain alignment with that objective. And the room’s bright white welcome desk, parallel to the floorplate and skylight, represents the transition away from what will be known as the dark ages of fossil fuel energy production.
Discover Charlottesville, Virginia
Apex’s hometown, just two hours from the nation’s capital, is a thriving college town with unmatched proximity to the outdoors. It’s also a hub for companies helping lead the clean energy, biotechnology, and quantitative finance sectors.
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