Jodi Summers = Green Real Estate

NEW GREEN GOLD @ LAX

January 23, 2012 on 12:08 am | In Act Locally, Green Building, Green Cities, Green Workplace, LEED, Statistics, U.S. Government, Uncategorized, Water | 3 Comments

by Jodi Summers

Los Angeles International Airport has the world’s first LEED Gold Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting facility. The Gold certification recognizes the project’s efforts at maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing negative environmental impacts.

Also known as LAFD Station 80 at Los Angeles International Airport, the building has incorporated a slew of green features, which yield energy cost cuts of 35% per year. Green upgrades include low-flow plumbing systems which reduce annual water usage by 39%. Water savings have further been achieved via utilizing more than 2,000 gallons of reused water for dust control in place of potable water.

The facility has installed a high-performance heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit which resets temperatures to optimum efficiency while maintaining the comfort level of the building occupants. Presence of occupancy-sensor controlled lighting fixtures contributes to the sustainability factor by reducing energy consumption.

The building has made extensive use of low VOC paints, adhesives, and sealants in the interior to upgrade indoor air quality. Other eco-friendly features include use of 20% of reclaimed materials during construction, and recycling or salvaging over 99% of construction debris.

All of these green elements have given LAX’s Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting facility LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council. It is the second building at LAX to incorporate LEED standards and receive LEED certification. The first building to incorporate LEED standards was the $737-million renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal – the first-ever for a renovation project at a U.S. airport. It received LEED Silver certification.

Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey said, “The LEED Gold certification reflects our commitment to contribute to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s vision of making Los Angeles the cleanest big city in America, and is in keeping with a sustainable ‘green’ building policy adopted by our Board of Airport Commissioners that commits us to incorporate LEED standards in all our future construction projects.”

http://www.worldinteriordesignnetwork.com/news/los_angeles_airports_aircraft_rescue_and_fire_fighting_facility_wins_leed_gold_111122/

http://www.santamonicapropertyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/lax-airport-industrials.jpg

http://westcoast911.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/LargeLAFDSeal.jpg

http://lafd.blogspot.com/2011/11/lax-aircraft-rescue-and-fire-fighting.html

google-site-verification: google4fc0001389ca1934.html

http://www.air-and-space.com/Calendar%20previews/2012%20calendar%20cover%20CAL%20FIRE%20l.jpg

http://www.aviationfirejournal.com/images/act3.jpg

SOCAL LOGISTICS KEEP GETTING GREENER > WELCOME THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY

November 28, 2011 on 12:48 am | In Act Locally, Green Building, Green Workplace, LEED, Net Zero, Solutions, Statistics, Trends, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

by Jodi Summers

Cargo is all about TEUs. The Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit is the approximate volume of a 20-foot-long (6.1 m) intermodal cargo container, a standard-sized metal box which can be easily transferred between different modes of transportation, such as ships, trains and trucks. TEUs are used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals.

If combined, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles would be the world’s sixth-busiest port complex (11.8 million total TEU). In layman’s terms, it means 11.8 million containers pass through the ports each year. Some ships that dock in the Port of Los Angeles tie up at modern piers and unload their cargo directly onto a rail network. Others tie up at older piers, where the cargo must be loaded onto trucks. The trucks then haul the containers 24 miles up the 710 Freeway to BNSF Railway’s Hobart facility, where they are loaded onto trains and transferred across the nation. Wooo! Hoooo! This is exciting stuff!

BNSF Railways of Dallas has a plan to significantly shorten the haul for 1.5 million of those containers each year > it’s called the Southern California International Gateway. It will link to the new millennium Alameda corridor train line, which can handle significantly more volume than the 40 trains that currently pass daily. FYI, Each train that’s loaded equals around 280 trucks.

The Primary Project Area is 153-acre swath of land extends from Sepulveda Blvd. to the north, Pacific Coast Highway to the south, the Dominguez Channel to the west, and the Terminal Island Freeway to the east. The Southern California International Gateway would be for train loading and unloading, overall site management and administrative support activities. At present, the land is generally used for cross docking (cargo transfer from one mode of transportation to another mode, such as from a container to a trailer. ), warehousing, and container and/or trailer maintenance servicing and storage. Good to know.

BNSF has proposed a plan for more on-dock rail loading, which loads the containers onto rail closer to the ports, shortening truck trips, creating less traffic and promoting cleaner air and hopefully making life a bit more pleasant for the 9,818,605 +/- people who live in L.A. County. The project has bumped along through political red tape for seven years without being either approved or rejected. Seriously.

The Southern California International Gateway facility will vie for LEED qualification. Among many green features the site promotes are wide-span mounted electric cranes that produce zero emissions and less noise, as well as low-emissions locomotives. On the downside, the Sepulveda Bridge would need to be rebuilt.

The Southern California International Gateway would stimulate trade and 1,500 union jobs for the construction of the $500-million rail loading yard. The deal is worth an estimated $255 million in wages for the three-year construction period. In the long run, operations would be hundreds of jobs. Pundits believe the indirect impact of improved transportation and efficiency at the port could produce as many as 22,000 more jobs over the long term.

The Southern California International Gateway is the obvious next phase of the build-out surrounding Pier S > the $650 million green container shipping depot on Terminal Island at the Port of Long Beach. This terminal is expected to showcase sustainable goods movement and generate up to 40,000 jobs in the region.

The Southern California International Gateway is heralded to be “the greenest intermodal facility in the nation.” A bold claim. If they can green up the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, which are the busiest in the country, then all ports become viable for greening.

The plan “allows us to bring containers from the port in an environmentally friendly way,” notes the BNSF spokesperson.

Founded in 1911, the 3,200-acre POLB is a premier gateway for trade between the United States and Asia. Today, the POLB’s loaded containers account for 1/3 of containers moving through all California ports, 1/4 moving through all West Coast ports and nearly 1 in 5 moving through all U.S. ports.

Check out the BNSF Southern California International Gateway promotional video:

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/10/opinion/la-oe-newton-column-port-international-gateway-20111010

http://www.globest.com/news/2016_2032/losangeles/315375-1.html?ET=globest:e27866:277110a:&st=email

http://www.bnsfconnects.com/

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/276454_217973588233165_6074703_n.jpg

http://www.lbpost.com/images/image1296067034-46639.jpg

http://youtu.be/m-dDcDzIgiM

http://content.ll-0.com/transportbeat/transportbeat_e_a000251002.JPG?i=050504121010

http://enterpriseseattle.org/images/stories/fruit/download.jpg

http://www.santamonicapropertyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/port-containers1.jpg

http://www.socalindustrialrealestateblog.com/?p=469

http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/08/28/bu_portoakland_001_f.jpg

http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=1747

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-foot_equivalent_unit

http://www.portoflosangeles.org/NOP/SCIG/NOP_SCIG_PROJECT_DESCRIPTION2.pdf

http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=1783

THE PORT OF LONG BEACH GETS GREENER + BIGGER

October 31, 2011 on 12:05 am | In Act Locally, all, Green Building, Green Workplace, LEED, Solutions, Trends, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

By Jodi Summers

The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest port in the United States, and the 18th busiest container cargo port in the world. Setting an example for container shifting properties throughout the world, the POLB will soon develop a green $650 million container shipping depot on Terminal Island. Dubbed Pier S (for sustainable?) the terminal is expected to showcase sustainable goods movement and generate up to 40,000 jobs in the region.

“A Pier S development would support tens of thousands of new jobs in the region and supply Southern California’s business and consumer needs,” observed Richard Steinke, executive director of the Port of Long Beach. “A Pier S terminal would help to modernize the Port of Long Beach as we seek to sharpen our competitive edge in the goods movement industry.”

Pier S would feature the latest technology and practices for reducing air pollution from cargo operations. The intention is to improve 160 acres of vacant land in the Port on Terminal Island, just south of the Cerritos Channel. The land is part of 720 acres purchased by the Port in 1994 from the Union Pacific Resources Corporation. At the time of the purchase, the soil had been contaminated by many years of oil and gas production. The Port has successfully addressed the soil contamination issues on the property, including the area now proposed for the Pier S development.

Through development of Pier S, the port would implement all the aggressive environmental measures in the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan and Water Resources Action Plan, and meet sustainability goals outlined in the Green Port Policy.

Environmentally savvy aspects of the development include:

* Shore power equipment to allow ships to “plug in” to clean electricity while berthed.

* An on-dock rail yard to maximize the use of trains in order to reduce the need for trucks.

* A “green lease” requiring environmental compliance, including the use of low-polluting terminal yard equipment.

* “Green Flag” Vessel Speed Reduction Program and the use of low-sulfur fuels for ships calling at the terminal.

* “Green” buildings that meet the rigorous energy-conservation, water-saving and environmentally friendly standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s busiest seaports, a leading gateway for trade between the United States and Asia. The POLB currently includes 10 piers, 80 berths and 66 post-Panamax gantry cranes. It supports over a million jobs nationally and generates billions of dollars in economic activity each year.

East Asian trade accounts for more than 90% of the shipments through the Port. Top trading partners by tonnage are; China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Iraq, Australia, Ecuador and Indonesia. Top Exports include, petroleum coke, petroleum bulk, chemicals, waste paper, foods. Top Imports include crude oil, electronics, plastics, furniture and clothing. ..It’s a total of more than $5 billion a year in U.S. Customs revenues from the Long Beach/Los Angeles ports, with about $4.9 billion a year in generated in local, state and general federal taxes because of port-related trade.

If combined, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles would be the world’s sixth-busiest port complex (11.8 million total TEU), after Singapore (25.9 million TEU), Shanghai (25 million), Hong Kong (21 million), Shenzhen, China (18.2 million) and Busan, S. Korea (11.9 million).

To download the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), go to www.polb.com/ceqa.

http://www.globest.com/news/2004_2004/losangeles/314203-1.html?ET=globest:e27356:277110a:&st=email

http://www.polb.com/about/facts.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:POLB_Cranes.JPG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_of_Port_of_Long_Beach.jpg

http://upload.wikihttp://thephotoexchange.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/portoflongbeach.jpgmedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Port_of_Long_Beach,_California_-4.jpg

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2010_06_port.jpg

http://www.ericstone.com/uploaded_images/ChinaShipping2-772536.jpg

http://thephotoexchange.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/portoflongbeach.jpg

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2008/20080325_longbeach.jpg

http://ladpw.org/wmd/watershed/dc/photos/images/aerial_port.jpg

GREEN SKYSCRAPERS THAT WILL IMPRESS YOU

July 31, 2011 on 12:09 am | In all, Green Building, Green Cities, Green Workplace, LEED, Solutions, Trends, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

By Jodi Summers

In the future, big buildings are not going to be called skyscrapers, they’re going to be known as eco-towers. This new breed of buildings are utilizing green technologies on an entirely new scale. And, like the elliptical shape our new Marriott hotel downtown, they will not look like those box-shaped structures that have become familiar to world skylines. Let us share with you 10 of the world’s most unique green eco-towers;

1.The Bahrain World Trade Center Towers, Kingdom of Bahrain

There is a lot of land in developing nations, and space allows for tremendous innovation. The Bahrain World Trade Center, located in the capital city of Manama, is a 50-story eco-tower, the second tallest building in Bahrain, and the firstskyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design. Bridges between the buildings house 3 96-foot suspended between the towers house propellers which supply the spires with over 1100 megawatts per year. These towers face north to capture the winds from the Persian Gulf, and the sail shape of the building was designed to to maximize the airflow for the jumbo blades. The “S” shape flow is ideal because it ensures that any wind coming within a 45 degree angle to either side will create a wind stream that is perpendicular to the turbines. These turbines are intended to provide 11% to 15% of the towers total power consumption.

2. The Pearl River Tower, Guangzhou, China

The China Green Building Council offers basic energy efficiency rules for building, and features a 5-star labeling system as a market-based incentive. The Pearl River Tower exemplifies China’s green push, as this eco-tower is designed to harness winds at lofty heights, using internal wind turbines for lighting. Fashioned like a giant wing, the tower pushes air through wind tunnels on two of the building’s 71 stories. Other green features on the Pearl River Tower include geothermal heat sinks, ventilated facades, waterless urinals, integrated photovoltaics and daylight responsive controls. The skyscraper has net zero energy goals, and anticipates generating enough power to meet its energy demands. Pearl River Tower is a self-sustaining, environmentally intelligent building that is a stunning new icon for the future of the region.

3. Bank of America Tower, New York City

The Bank of America Tower is Manhattan’s 2^nd tallest building and 1^st LEED Platinum eco-tower. The designers of, Cook + Fox Architects have incorporated rainwater capture and floor-to-ceiling windows for natural lighting, natural gas fuel cells for on-site electricity and sunlight-sensing LED lights maximize efficiency.

4.The Lighthouse Tower, Dubai

The Dubai International Financial Centre Lighthouse Tower incorporates 4,000 photovoltaic panels on the south facing facade as well as three mega 225 kilowatt wind turbines to meet its electricity needs.

Designed by the Atkins Group, the 66-floor Lighthouse Tower is designed to produce the smallest carbon footprint possible. It is structured as two separate towers connected by a bridge at level 10, and features numerous sky gardens. The tower hopes to reduce energy consumption by 65% and its water consumption by 40% when matched against similar structures.

5.The CIS Tower, Manchester England

The CIS Tower is the second-tallest building in Manchester, England. Measuring 387 feet tall, the glass roofed building is home to Co-operative Financial Services. The Tower was built in 1962, and is a fine example of green retrofitting. The new and improved CIS Tower may be considered the ultimate is solar, with more than 7,000 panels on the façade provide a weatherproof barrier, and generate about 390kW of power for the building. In total, 7,244 Sharp 80W modules are used to cover the entire service tower (but apparently only 4898 of these modules are “live” the others are “dummy modules”). Additionally, there are 24 wind turbines on the roof, and the ability to produce 10% of its energy needs.

The £5.5 million ($10.1 million) solar project was supported by a £885,000 (US$1.64 million) grant from the Northwest Regional Development Agency and a £175,000 (US$ 324,435) grant from the Department of Trade and Industry.

6. The Hearst Tower, New York City

The Hearst Tower was the first skyscraper in Manhattan to achieve LEED Gold accreditation. Built atop the existing Hearst building, this innovative addition hsed 80% of the steel was recycled, as well as the floors and ceiling tiles are made from recycled materials. Architect was Norman Foster designed a “diagrid” triangular framing pattern required fewer steel beams to achieve the same rigidity as a conventional skyscraper. Rainwater is collected on the roof and is funneled into a 14,000-gallon tank in the basement, and accounts for 50% of the tower’s usage. It’s pumped into the cooling system, used for irrigating plants in communal spaces called “sky gardens” and to power the 3-story waterfall which cools and humidifies the lobby air (like NYC needs more humidity). The building also boasts a smart elevator system, which retains memory and optimizes paths based on previous data, headcounts, and floor requests.

7.The Burj al-Taqa (Energy Tower), Dubai

Unlike most of the U.S. and Europe, Dubai has the issue of extreme heat. The Burj al-Taqa is 68-story super eco-tower has a cylindrical shape that is designed to expose as little surface area to the sun as possible, thanks to a façade built from a new generation of vacuum glazing. A protective solar shield reaches from the ground to the roof and covers 60% of the building. It protects the side most affected from the sun’s glaring rays, making sure that none of the rooms are exposed to direct sunlight. The remaining 40% of the structure has diffused light that is tempered by a mineral coating on the windows. This objective is to shield the building from outside heat, keeping the temperatures inside at a low, comfortable temperature.

“Such a building has to work like a thermos flask,” says DS-Plan’s energy manager Peter Mösle. “It has to have a cooling effect in the summer and retain heat in the winter.”

Burj al-Taqa also has a natural air conditioning system. Lateral openings in the towers suck in cool air like a chimney. The heavier cool air sinks downward, displacing the lighter air; therefore creating a temperature that is ideal for the working environment. Additional fresh air, cooled by sea water, is pumped into the interior of the building by means of a duct system at the same time. There are three large cooling units in the cellar of the skyscraper, also lowering the inside temperature.

Burj al-Taqa was modeled after ancient Persian architectural features. It is #22 on the list of the tallest buildings in the world thanks to the 200-foot wind turbine that will sit atop the building. The turbine, accompanied by two photovoltaic facilities produce the electricity to meet the needs of the building. Additional energy is provided by an island of solar panels that drift in the sea within viewing distance of the tower.

8.Waugh Thistleton Residential Tower, London

This eco-residential building employs 4 helical wind turbines attached to one side of the tower have the potential to generate 40,000kW hrs a year, more than 15% of its energy needs.

9. 340 on the Park, Chicago

If you have $700K to throw down on a 1,600 square-foot condo in this tower designed by archtiectural firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz, you can enjoy low utility bills thanks to the building’s fully insulated windows and rainwater capture system. The building was designed Post-Tensioning in order improve the floor-to-ceiling height for residents.There is also a multi-story winter garden starting on the 25^th floor and it is connected to the Chicago pedway system. 340 on the Park is the first residential tower in the Mid-West America to achieve Silver LEED certification.

10. The Urban Cactus, Rotterdam

Designed by UCX Architects, the Urban Cactus is a residential project in the Netherlands that offers 98 residential units on 19 floors. The staggered design and curvy balconies which looked like a stacked set of rotated, swoopy plates allow each unit’s outdoor space to get plenty of light from the sun. This also affords greater angles of natural sunlight to penetrate into the interior of the units themselves. While this tower may lack in the technology department, its carbon-mitigation potential is high thanks to all the photosynthesis happening on the porch gardens. Additionally, the building is white to mitigate the urban heat island effect.

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/695/

http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/crp384/2008reports/18Green_Skyscrapers.pdf

http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=1619

http://www.altdotenergy.com/2008/10/11-super-green-skyscraperspers/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/340_on_the_Park

http://inhabitat.com/urban-cactus-building/

GREENING OUR CITIES WITH SKYSCRAPERS

July 24, 2011 on 12:21 am | In all, Green Building, Green Cities, LEED, Solutions, Trends, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

By Jodi Summers

Way back when we were a child, we made the pilgrimage from our home in New York City to holiday in Los Angeles. As a seven-year-old, we were rather confused by the fact that L.A. was considered a big city, when downtown only had seven tall buildings. Now, those in the know say tall buildings are one of the easiest ways to green a city (which is why NYC is always one of the greenest cities in the U.S.).

Skyscrapers in and of themselves are a green concept – high density living + work, close to mass transit, shared utilities. If you don’t mind having neighbors, they’re a big benefit. Manhattan can actually be considered the greenest place in America, if measured by energy use per inhabitant. If New York City were a state, it would be 12th in population and last in energy consumption…why? Skyscrapers.

“Density isn’t about driving to big-box stores; it’s about walking to the corner to grab groceries,” offers LEED-certified architect Peter Weingarten of Gensler global design firm. “What can you get within walking distance, without ever using a car? That’s the question that drives the economy of dense urban streets.”

Density is one of the defining characteristic of cities. The other is convenience, as people can travel shorter distances for services. If you’re worried about your carbon footprint, you’ll want to note that central city residents emit less carbon than the suburban counterparts. In New York and San Francisco, the average urban family emits more than two tons less carbon annually because it drives less. In Nashville, the city-suburb carbon gap due to driving is more than three tons.

Skyscrapers have already offered the world much in the way of innovation, including fireproofing, elevators and new window technologies which make maximum use of natural lighting while minimizing interior heat gain.

In recent times, innovations in design and construction technology have enabled high-rise buildings to become just as energy-efficient as their shorter, smaller counterparts—and on a much more efficient footprint.

“In the pioneering days of super tall building design, it was about getting there,” Weingarten shares. “Now we’re at a comfortable point about execution technically, and we’re turning to qualitative needs of building occupants.”

A stellar example of a new skyscraper featuring fine green technology is the 1,200-foot Bank of America Tower in NYC. The $1 billion tower, the second tallest building in New York City (we do miss the World Trade Center), earned LEED “platinum” status in May 2010. It features a gray-water system that captures and re-uses rain and waste water that saves 10.3 million gallons of water annually, a crystalline design that allows for maximum use of daylight, and an onsite 4.6-megawatt generator that provides an efficient, clean power source for part of the building’s energy needs. Figure if they can do those things a 100-story building, it’s simple to do trickle down the technology to smaller structures.

“We need vertical buildings to activate the public realm with people, to create dynamic street life in cities, to populate transportation systems and to ensure the vitality of retail and other life style programs,” confirms Weingarten. “Super-tall buildings are now built as mixed use communities…linked to transit and parks.”

Green high-rises are not just about new construction. As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg offers, “Existing buildings, no matter how tall they are, no matter how old they are, can take steps to significantly reduce their energy consumption.”

Renovation costs on existing high-rises total can easily cost tens of millions of dollars. But, if owners can wait it out, this expense will be more than recouped via energy savings and water savings. For example, upon renovation, the Empire State Building expects energy savings of $4.4 million annually. The brown water system in the Bank of America Tower saves millions of gallons of water every year, which obviously results in cost savings. Need further inspiration? The federal stimulus package has $4.5 billion in green building grants. This is in addition to an energy-efficient federal tax deduction that experts calculate could total up to $1.80 per square foot in commercial buildings. California, as well as Los Angeles County also offers an impressive array of green incentives.

“Efficiency can save 75% of America’s electricity at lower cost than making it at existing power plants,” writes editorialist As Amory B. Lovins in the New York Times. “Helping customers reduce or defer usage when electricity is scarce can also increase distribution equipment’s life and reliability.”

Renovation projects aimed at greening skyscrapers usually include energy-efficient windows and energy efficient lighting. Many renovated buildings have lighting sensors to dim lights and lower heating / cooling automatically when not needed – changes that cut utility expenses by a third. Most skyscrapers have flat roofs, which provide the potential for solar power and additional savings.

As for the return, it varies depending upon location. A recent report by the Department of Energy created a computer model of identical energy-efficiency improvements for imaginary four-story commercial buildings in Chicago, Baltimore, and Newport Beach. The computer found the improvements had the greatest effect in windy Chicago with a 23%, which would pay for itself in 9 years. Projections for milder climates like Newport Beach and even Baltimore resulted in lower reductions and approximately 11 years to pay off via energy savings.

“If through awareness or excitement we can get people focused on urbanization and sustainable technologies, then we’ve achieved something greater than the building itself,” concludes Weingarten. “Super tall buildings often become symbols of the city in which they’re located. As highly visible beacons they present an incredible opportunity to promote more sustainable ways of living.”

As the world’s population grows, urban density will accelerate, and it will be the job of local governments to encourage and greenlight the development of functional, integrated, sustainable communities.

http://greenrealestateinvestingnews.com/green-real-estate-investing/can-bigger-be-better-how-green-skyscrapers-might-save-our-cities.html

http://theenergycollective.com/davidlevy/45035/green-skyscraper

http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=1603

http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/crp384/2008reports/18Green_Skyscrapers.pdf

http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/reagh/1990-1377.jpg

http://theenergycollective.com/davidlevy/45035/green-skyscraper

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/the-lorax-was-wrong-skyscrapers-are-green/

http://www.e-architect.co.uk/images/jpgs/copenhagen/tower_tomorrow_louisiana150609.jpg

http://incredibleworld.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/green-walls-4.jpg

http://planetforward.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/green-urban.jpg

http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2010/09/16/five-green-skyscrapers-shortlisted-for-the-4th-international-highrise-award-2_YlFSw_11446.jpg

http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/fosterbow1.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/3146742910_9af546db29_z.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodisummers/4905718985/

http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/billmcdonoughtower1.jpg

ARCHITECT LAWRENCE SCARPA IS HONORED FOR LOCAL GREEN BUILDINGS

July 3, 2011 on 12:14 am | In all, Green Building, Green Houses, Green Workplace, LEED, Solutions, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

By Jodi Summers

Bravo to local architect Lawrence Scarpa, two of his buildings have been selected among the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE).

Local architect Lawrence Scarpa is known for the creative use of conventional materials in unique and unexpected ways. He is also considered a pioneer and leader in the field of sustainable design. Green fundamentals are integrated with design to create a holistic structure. Since 2001 Mr. Scarpa’s firm’s Brooks + Scarpa (formerly Pugh + Scarpa) has received over fifty major design awards.

Around Santa Monica, Scarpa is known for affordable housing like the award winning Step Up on Fifty and Pico Place, as well as and the 3,500 sq. ft. expansion and remodel to the existing 4,000 sq. ft. campus bookstore at Santa Monica College…not to mention a green parking garage or two…

The COTE Top Ten Green Projects program is architecture’s best known recognition program for sustainable design excellence.

The brief summary of the honored projects is courtesy of the American Institute of Architects:

Step Up on 5th, Santa Monica, CA

BROOKS + SCARPA (formerly Pugh + Scarpa)

Santa Monica’s downtown mixed-use project provides 46 studio apartments of permanent affordable housing and supportive services for the homeless and mentally disabled. The density of the project is 258 dwelling units/acre, which exceeds the average density of the Manhattan borough of New York City by more than 10%. The building is located in a transit-oriented location, down the block from the new light rail, with easy access to community resources and services. Based on California Title 24-2005 published by USGBC on this building is nearly 50% more efficient than a conventionally designed structure of this type.

Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles

BROOKS + SCARPA (formerly Pugh + Scarpa)

This urban infill, mixed-use, market-rate housing project was designed to incorporate green design as a way of marketing a green lifestyle. The design maximizes the mild, Southern California climate with a passive cooling strategy. A blend high-efficiency LED and electric lighting, photo and occupancy sensors, and natural day lighting to minimize energy use. 100% of the total regularly occupied building area is day lit and can be ventilated with operable windows. A combination of cool roof covered in solar panels, green roof, and blown-in cellulose insulation complete an efficient building shell exceeding California Title 24 by 47%.

First Unitarian Society Meeting House, Madison, WI

The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc.

This elegant 20,000-square-foot addition to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed national historic landmark Meeting House is approximately 40% more efficient than a comparable base case facility. The landmark addition features recycled-content, locally-sourced materials and a vegetated roof. CO2 sensors trigger a ventilation system that provides energy savings when spaces are unoccupied. 91% of regularly occupied areas are daylit though Individual lighting controls in all building areas.

Kiowa County K-12 Schools, Greensburg, KS

BNIM Architects

Following the devastating tornado that destroyed their town and schools, USD 422 chose a bold strategy to combine their schools into a single K-12 facility that would align with the town’s sustainable comprehensive master plan. The facilities design optimizes day lighting and natural ventilation in all classrooms, which increases student academic performance/potential and focus. A 50-kilowatt wind turbine provides a portion of the electricity needs while the remaining power is generated at the wind farm located outside of town.

High Tech High Chula Vista, Chula Vista, CA

Studio E Architects

This public charter school serving 550 students in grades 9-12 with an approach rooted in project-based learning uses a building management system which integrates a weather station, and monitors and controls the lighting and mechanical systems of the facilities, in addition to the irrigation and domestic water systems.

LIVESTRONG Foundation, Austin, TX

Lake|Flato Architects

The adaptive reuse of a 1950′s built warehouse transformed the concrete tilt-wall building to provide a multi-functional office space for the staff of 62. 88% of the materials from the demolition of the dilapidated warehouse were recycled and used in the new design. Achieving LEED Gold certification, the project reflects the LiveStrong mission “to inspire and empower people affected by cancer.”

LOTT Clean Water Alliance, Olympia, WA

The Miller | Hull Partnership

The LOTT Clean Water Alliance Regional Service Center is perhaps the most aesthetic sewage treatment plant in the United States. Methane generated from the plant’s waste treatment process is used in a cogeneration plant to generate electricity and heat. The heat is used directly in the building through a low temperature water loop connected to water source heat pumps, thus eliminating the need for a boiler, cooling tower, or geothermal field.

OS House, Racine, WI

Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Occupying a narrow infill lot in an old city neighborhood at the edge of Lake Michigan, this LEED Platinum home demonstrates how a small residence built with a moderate budget can become a confident, new urban constituent…not unlike Frank Lloyd Wright did so many decades ago.

Research Support Facility (RSF) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL), Golden, CO

RNL Design

This is the largest commercial net-zero energy structure in the country, designed to serve as a blueprint for a net-zero energy future. NREL and Department of Energy’s goal is to transform innovative research in renewable energy and energy efficiency into market-viable technologies and practices. Notable innovations include an open office plan resulted in a higher density workplace reducing the building footprint per person.

Vancouver Convention Centre West, Vancouver, British Columbia

Design Architect: LMN Architects, Prime Architects: DA/MCM

As the world’s first LEED Platinum convention center, the Vancouver Convention Centre West is designed to bring together the complex ecology, vibrant local culture and urban environment. The living roof, at 6 acres, is the largest in Canada, hosting some 400,000 indigenous plants. The heating and cooling is provided by very high efficiency, sea water heat pumps powered by renewable hydro electricity.

For over 150 years, members of the American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes.