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Tours

1. 2021 Municipal Projects Awards Tour

   Check out this virtual tour of the awarded projects in 2021. Every year, USGBC-LA recognizes local government investments in sustainable building.

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   1. Rancho Cucamonga

      The City of Rancho Cucamonga has achieved LEED Silver Certification last year. The City is now part of a prestigious global community to be certified using the LEED for Cities and Communities rating system. With a population of approximately 180,000 residents and nearly 47 square miles City of Rancho Cucamonga is considered to be the premier city in the Inland Empire and one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Southern California.
      
      The City implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at improving sustainability, equity, resiliency, and quality of life throughout the community.
      
      The prestigious accomplishment was made possible through a technical assistance grant through the USGBC. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation dedicated funds for this project enabling cities with the financial and educational support to improve performance over time through the pursuit of LEED for Cities certification. This LEED Silver certification is an integral part of the Healthy Rancho Cucamonga initiative, launched in 2008, to promote a healthy and environmentally sustainable community. This certification further guides future sustainability efforts, helps prioritize measures, and fosters collaboration with key organizations that collectively improve the quality of life in Rancho Cucamonga. These efforts will be used to guide planning processes as the City completes the General Plan update.
      
      LEED Dashboard

      
      10500 Civic Center Dr, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA

       

   2. City of Costa Mesa

      The City of Costa Mesa achieved LEED Cities Gold Certification for its practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at improving sustainability and the standard of living for residents.

      • In November 2020, City of Costa Mesa became the first City in California and one of only four cities in United States to have received LEED Gold certification using the most stringent LEED version 4.1. https://www.cityofcostamesanews.com/costa-mesa-wins-prestigious-leed-gold-certification-from-u-s-green-business-council/.
      • U.S. Green Building Council LEED for Cities and Communities program helps local leaders create responsible, sustainable and specific plans for natural systems, energy, water, waste, transportation and many other factors that contribute to quality of life. The LEED framework encompasses social, economic and environmental performance indicators and strategies with a clear, data-driven means of benchmarking and communicating progress.
      • LEED for Cities certification process allowed City staff to have a comprehensive understanding of the current sustainability and environmental initiatives in the City and in Orange County that improve residents’ quality of life. It created the opportunity to identify gaps, opportunities for improvement and provided the platform to work collaboratively to co-design local solutions that are realistic, timely, address equity/inclusion and reduce disaster risk reduction while building community resilience.
      • The City’s goal was not only to get LEED for Cities (LfC) Gold level achievement – but also created the momentum and support needed to advance sustainability and energy related initiatives in Orange County long after certification. Instead of doing one off-projects here and here, City staff now uses LEED for Cities and Communities framework as a way to bring people together, find win-win opportunities, leverage partnerships, identify private-public sector collaboration and engage the community in an inclusive way. https://www.costamesaca.gov/city-hall/city-departments/public-services/sustainability
      • Another great thing about LEED for Cities was, the opportunity to learn what other cities in different states and countries are doing and be able to network with like-minded sustainability leaders. This allows the City to implement industry best practices and allocate the right resources to become a truly sustainable and inclusive city in Orange County. The City also plans on taking a leadership role in Orange County to drive change and execute on our collective ambitious goals. By getting the first LEED for Cities certification, the City is encouraging other Cities to do the same, while inspiring social change, empowerment of communities to achieve sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic recovery in Southern California.

      
      City of Costa Mesa's certification details
      
      Annual Sustainability report
      
      

   3. Donald Dungan Library

      The new Donald Dungan Library project consisted of demolition of the existing 20,000 sq. ft. concrete Neighborhood Community Center. All of the concrete was pulverized and buried under the new 23,355 sq. ft., two-story LEED Gold certified Library. There was no concrete demolition exported from the site. Redevelopment of Lions Park included replacing the existing Neighborhood Community Center parking lot with a new 1-acre grass lawn, native drought tolerant landscaping and water conserving drip irrigation system. All surface storm water on the project site drains to large underground storage tanks that allow the storm water to percolate down to the aquifer with no water flowing off site. The Library has two community rooms, a separate lounge for teenagers, study carrels, Wi-Fi, separate adult, and children’s sections with a three dimensional play wall. Security video surveillance is provided throughout the interior and exterior of the facility.  Street improvements included new utility connections, parking space realignment along Park Avenue and Anaheim Avenue as well as installation of all underground utilities with a new concrete slab-on-grade for a future Cafe.
      
      

      LEED Dashboard
      
      1855 Park Ave, Costa Mesa, CA, USA

   4. Norma Hertzog Community Center

      The repurposed Norma Hertzog Community Center received new energy efficient mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems within the 9,281 square foot floor plan. New exterior glazing, advanced audio-visual equipment, upgraded restrooms with low flush toilets and local instant heated water, offices, a catering kitchen, stage, fire sprinkler system, and landscaping were also implemented as part of this project. The new community center will be able to accommodate up to 330 persons in the main assembly room and 100 persons in the adjacent conference room
      
      LEED Dashboard
      
      1855 Park Ave, Costa Mesa, CA, USA

   5. LAX Terminal 1.5

      LAX Terminal 1.5 recently achieved LEED Silver certification for NC.

      • The building will be utilizing a new recycled water system that is being installed around the Airport campus, which will work in concert with low flow faucets and flush valves that will make a dramatic reduction in the amount of potable water used by the building.
      • A new stormwater collection and management system will be used by the building to collect all rainwater runoff at the building site, which will then be filtered and reclaimed at an offsite treatment facility.  This system will ensure that this rainwater will be treated and reused as opposed to being directly drained into the Pacific Ocean.
      • Several energy efficiency measures were incorporated into the building design such as an advanced lighting control system that is programed to automatically increase or decrease the amount of artificial light within the building depending on both the time of day and number of occupants within the building.
      • Advanced, energy efficient air handling units were deployed in the design of the building to ensure occupant comfort is maintained within the building by accurately monitoring and regulating temperature, humidity, and air quality.
      • The project also achieved an exemplary performance credit for its use and incorporation of recycled materials throughout the building along with the contractor’s ability to recycle a large amount of waste material that was generated throughout the construction of the building.
      • Finally, the project was able to achieve an exemplary performance credit for reducing the amount of energy the building consumed and by purchasing renewable energy credits from off-site renewable energy providers, since it wasn’t possible to produce renewable green energy at the building site.

      LEED Dashboard
      
      150 World Way, Los Angeles, CA, USA

   6. Student Services Building (Santa Monica College)

      Santa Monica College has a strong approach to sustainable design and requires that all new buildings to  obtain a USGBC LEED Certification.  The stated goal for The Student Services Center was for a LEED ‘Gold’ Certification.  With a strong commitment to sustainable design and the minimization of a buildings impact on the environment, project team took an aggressive approach to use as many design strategies possible for the project.  The successful result achieved a USBGC LEED ‘Platinum’ Certification.

      The Basis of Design document focused on the buildings energy efficiency to provide the largest impact to the project. Strategies included the following measures.

      • Building envelope design with high performance glazing, rainscreen wall construction, and shading devices to control building heat gain and loss.
      • Mechanical systems selection for maximum energy efficiency and building arrangement for occupant thermal comfort.
      • LED lighting systems throughout for low use of energy, longevity, and minimization of heat loads on the mechanical systems.
      • Renewable energy from roof top photovoltaic system provided to the local utility for the equivalent of 35% of buildings energy usage.
      • Advanced water technology with a pressurized waste water system.  System provides a significant 65% reduction of water usage and a reduction in size of piping required.
      • Use of recycled materials in the content of steel, concrete, cabinetry, and furniture to reduce the amount material extraction required for production.

       

      Additional measures to provide a safe and comfortable interior environment included

      • Extensive use of natural light through glazing and light wells for views and to minimize the need for artificial lighting. Light wells bring light into the center of the building and provide courtyards for student gatherings.
      • Improved air quality through the use of low VOC materials for carpet, paint, sealants, caulking, and furniture.
      • Individual lighting fixtures at offices and workstations for personal light control.

       

      Exterior sustainable project measures include

      • Retention water system for all drainage to remain on site.
      • Efficient watering systems and drought tolerant plant selection to minimize water usage.
      • Trees and planting for shade and to reduce heat island effect.
      • Recirculating water feature for sound mitigation from vehicular traffic.

      
      LEED Dashboard
      
      1900 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA, USA

   7. Robertson Recreation Center

      Robertson Recreation Center in Los Angeles is a 11,775 square feet project that is gold certified in LEED for New Construction 2009 rating system.
      Designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, the building’s durable interior finish is exposed concrete block to preserve coolness, while its corrugated metal exterior and perimeter of trees provide a self-shading system to minimize the need for air conditioning. Four north-facing trusses spanning the gym are glazed with clerestory windows to provide continuous, indirect sunlight—eliminating the need for artificial lighting throughout the day.
      Why It's Green:
      24% improvement on baseline building performance rating
      35% green power purchase
      20% recycled content building materials
      20% regionally extracted, harvested, recovered, or manufactured materials
      75% diversion of construction and demolition debris
      50% reduction in potable landscape water use
      40% reduction in baseline indoor water use
      
      LEED Dashboard
      
      1641 Preuss Rd, Los Angeles, CA, USA

   8. UCLA Levering Terrace

      The 62,000 sf Levering Terrace undergraduate apartment building is a 10-story student housing complex that is LEED Gold certified, thoughtfully integrated into its hillside neighborhood context by stepping back from the street and up the hill. It provides excellent proximity both to campus and the bustle of Westwood Village, while providing 42 new units with accommodation for two to six beds apiece.

       

      Levering Terrace achieved more 41% water reduction and realized energy cost savings of 33.3% through application of renewable systems such as solar hot water heating,  operable windows and electric heat for passive cooling, open corridors, and efficient LED lighting.  88% of construction waste - over 2,600 tons - was diverted from landfill. Nestled into a densely packed neighborhood, the project’s terracing returns 57% of the site as outdoor open space, with vegetated roof area and pedestrian-oriented hardscape. On-site planters are designed to treat one and a half times the 85th percentile runoff volume, or approximately 1,462 cubic feet of stormwater.

      
      LEED Dashboard
      
      Margan Apartments, 885 Levering Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USA
      
      Photo Credit -  © 2019 Lawrence Anderson Photography, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

   9. UCLA DeNeve Bakery + Kitchen

      Completed in connection with the Commissary Renovation of Bradley Hall, the DeNeve Bakery and Kitchen Renovation reorganized 11,645 SF facility to accommodate an expanded and state of the art bakery. 

       

      The DeNeve Bakery optimized kitchen design, reducing water use by over 40%, lighting power by more than 50%, and selected energy-saving appliances, with Energy Star-rated kitchen equipment used for over 76% of its plug load.  Demand control ventilation with local control and thoughtful layout make this an outstanding working bakery to serve the thousands of students residing on “the Hill” at UCLA with healthy, local, organic, and sustainable fare.

      
      LEED Dashboard
      
      330 De Neve Dr, Los Angeles, CA, USA
      
      
      

      Photo Credit – UCLA Housing and Hospitality Services

   10. Marion Anderson Hall (UCLA Anderson School of Management)

       Marion Anderson Hall achieved LEED-NC BD+C Platinum Certification with many sustainable strategies and features: 

        

       Campus Features

       • Part of the densely‐populated campus community network, the building has excellent proximity to Central Campus, Public Transit, Westwood Village 

       1. Occupants can easily walk to nearby live performances, museums, shops, and restaurants
       2. Easily reached by bicycle, and proximate to cycling amenities and showers
       3. New ground floor showers serve Anderson's bike commuters

       • Served by UCLA’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program (now celebrating 30 years of success)

       1. Campus shuttles, bus subsidies, bikeshare, carpools, Zimride, Zipcars, vanpools, electric fleet
       2. A Campus drive‐alone rate of only 23% (compared to 73% for Los Angeles County overall)
       3. TDM supports UCLA’s Climate Action Plan and goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2025

       • Open spaces feature native and drought tolerant plantings and campus‐standard, high‐SRI hardscape

       • UCLA’s campus is a tobacco‐free environment

       • UCLA Zero‐Waste Plan and single‐stream recycling program divert over 70% of campus waste from landfill

       • Anderson Bruin Green Cleaning uses healthy, natural‐based products for indoor and outdoor maintenance

       Marion Anderson Hall Water Savings 

       • Water use 42% lower than EPAct Standards, over 50% lower for landscape irrigation

       • High‐efficiency / low‐flow sinks, showers, and toilets

       Marion Anderson Hall Energy Savings

       • The Addition was designed to outperform California’s stringent Title 24‐2008 energy code standard by 20.5%:

       1. High-performance building envelope - walls and roof, windows and insulation
       2. Insulated glass with a low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of 0.36

       • Cool white roofing with a High Solar Reflectivity Index (SRI) over 82 to reduce cooling loads

       • All parking is covered to limit the urban heat island effect

       • Natural ventilation and individual controls help maximize thermal comfort for occupants

       • Occupancy sensors control lighting in most spaces

       • Efficient building systems, including displacement ventilation

       • Enhanced Commissioning optimized performance and operating efficiency

       Marion Anderson Hall protects indoor environmental quality

       • Ventilation rates exceed the standards in ASHRAE 62.1‐2007

       • Construction processes protected mechanical systems from contamination during installation and thoroughly flushed out indoor air prior to occupancy

       • Construction Materials are low‐emitting or no‐VOC products; UCLA custodial uses healthy cleaning products

       The new building allows UCLA Anderson to address changes in the learning technologies and career needs of the 21st century. Classrooms with the latest technologies for innovative pedagogy and programming, breakout rooms with the flexibility for collaborative learning environments and meeting and event areas will bring the Anderson community together and present the opportunity for purposeful design that advances Anderson's culture of sharing success, thinking fearlessly and driving change.
       
       

       LEED Dashboard
       
       https://www.chi-athenaeum.org/green-architecture-2021/2021/04/01/marion-anderson-hall-ucla-anderson-school-of-management-2015-2020/
       
       110 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, USA
       
       Photo Credit -  ©Gensler / Ryan Gobuty

   11. UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios

       The Municipal Project of the Year goes to UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios, a 48,000 square foot building LEED Gold certified located in Culver City’s dynamic Hayden Tract, is the studio home to the MFA students in the Department of Art in the School of the Arts and Architecture. The Studios are dedicated to supporting emerging artists and strengthening Los Angeles’s position as a world arts capital, building upon the campus’s continued commitment to nurture generations of artistic talent and enhancing the vibrant cultural community of Los Angeles. The restoration was largely funded by a $20 million gift in 2016 from Margo Leavin, the largest ever made by an alumna to the arts within the University of California system. 

       The building creates an artists’ neighborhood, with clusters of intimate, private studio spaces and communal, shared facilities and critique spaces. The design considers the nature of artistic practice today and anticipates change by creating a building that can evolve in the future with new technologies and working methods, while integrating sustainable materials and strategies throughout.

       The choice to rehabilitate and renovate the existing bowstring truss warehouse was at the core of the project, the original building expanded outward to add exceptional ceramics, sculpture, gallery, digital classroom, resident artist, and garden spaces, with toplit covered spaces elegantly enclosed by a remarkable perimeter wall of ribbed tilt-up concrete that strikes a balance at once both grand of purpose and contextually humble. 

       
       

       Sustainable features include

       • Welcoming courtyards with drought-tolerant plantings, water recapture, and efficient irrigation, saving 56% of water as compared to conventional landscapes.

       • WaterSense, low-flow, and hybrid plumbing fixtures achieved a water usage savings of 51.55%

       • Simple building volumes capitalize on ample daylighting and natural ventilation. Efficient lighting, equipment, and mechanical systems together outperform ASHRAE Standard 90.1 by 18%. 

       • Healthy, low-VOC interiors, high ventilation rates, chemical containment and management systems and vacuum exhaust systems. 

       • 29 products provided Environmental Product Declarations and 27 products material ingredient disclosures.

       • 93% of construction waste was diverted from landfill, 1,312 tons in all. 

       • 100% of energy use is offset or renewable, thanks in part to Southern California Edison’s Green-e electric service through the Clean Power Alliance in Culver City.

       LEED Dashboard
       
       8535 Warner Dr, Culver City, CA, USA
       
       
       

       Photo Credit – Iwan Baan All Rights Reserved / UCLA