NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction

1. NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction • Four-story, 268,762 square foot building in Riverdale, MD housing 800+ Federal employees, and contractors • 5 NCEP Centers (NCO, EMC, HPC, OPC, CPC) • NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) • NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) • OAR Air Resources Laboratory • Includes 40 spaces for visiting scientists • Includes 464 seat auditorium/ conference center, library, deli, fitness center and health unit

2. Green Building Design • Candidate for Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEEDTM Green Building Rating System • Built using materials with recycled and local content, including highly efficient glass • Sunshades to optimize energy performance • 60% of roof surface is covered with low growing plants for better insulation • Outside are bio-retention areas, a storm water cistern to collect water for irrigation and a four-story rainwater waterfall to drain the roof • Inside occupancy sensors for the lighting systems, carpets and paints selected to preserve quality of indoor air

3. Collaborative Building Design • Designed to facilitate collaboration • 1st floor contains critical infrastructure and NCO staff • 10, 000 square ft data center consolidates five data centers from WWB • Dual network and power feeds • Three generators provide redundant backup capability • 2ndfloor – data/model improvement issues • Colocation of organizations that deal with critical observing issues (NESDIS STAR), data assimilation issues (JCSDA) and model development and transition activities (EMC) • Accelerates the use of new observing systems to improve weather and climate prediction • 3rd floor – climate theme • Contains CPC, sections of NESDIS STAR and the Climate Test Bed • Will lead to improved climate prediction techniques and products • 4th floor – houses all operational units • HPC, OPC, NESDIS SAB • NCO’s Senior Duty Meteorologist • Media Center