Making it happen.A new generation of architects, engineers and others is spearheading a radically different approach to building design in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Green, or sustainable, building still plays only a minor role in the industry, but the following standouts are at the forefront of a movement that could well revolutionize the industry in the coming decade. ELIZABETH MOULE Age: 46 Title: Principal Organization: Moule & Polyzoides/Architects and Urbanists Education: B.A. Smith College; Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. ; Masters in Architecture from Princeton University Princeton University, at Princeton, N.J.; coeducational; chartered 1746, opened 1747, rechartered 1748, called the College of New Jersey until 1896. Schools and Research Facilities . Job Description: Designs buildings, towns and in-fill developments that consider sustainability from the large regional perspective (i.e. eliminating vehicular travel needed to reach a site) down to the smallest recyclable materials. Past Green Building Projects: The recently completed National Resources Defense Council headquarters in Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. , which was awarded a Platinum rating under the current LEED 2.1, green building rating system. Sustainable elements like recapturing rainwater to flush toilets and sensors that turn lights off when someone leaves a room have made the structure the greenest building on the planet. "It scored higher than any building in the history of the LEED rating system. And that did not even account for the neighborhood development issues we addressed like parking, traffic, and proximity to transportation." Current Projects: 200-acre mixed-use (retail, residential office, and hotel) sustainable development Sustainable development is a socio-ecological process characterized by the fulfilment of human needs while maintaining the quality of the natural environment indefinitely. The linkage between environment and development was globally recognized in 1980, when the International Union in Rancho Mirage. Neighborhoods are pedestrian-oriented and encircle en·cir·cle tr.v. en·cir·cled, en·cir·cling, en·cir·cles 1. To form a circle around; surround. See Synonyms at surround. 2. To move or go around completely; make a circuit of. a natural desert "greenbelt." Water conservation, storage, and re-use throughout, along with photovoltaic The generation of voltage by a material that is exposed to light in the visible and invisible ranges. See photoelectric and photovoltaic cell. solar cells on each structure. "With a large development, energy issues can be solved at the street level. Buildings will be configured to optimize solar exposure and shade direction; streets will be made out of semi-permeable materials to aid water conversation." Interest in Green Building: "My father was an aeronautical engineer Noun 1. aeronautical engineer - an engineer concerned with the design and construction of aircraft applied scientist, engineer, technologist - a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems who sent Apollo rockets to the moon; my grandfather built cars for General Motors. That background was mixed with growing up in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , where I watched suburbanization destroy the natural habitats my family cherished. Architecture was a chance for me to build beautiful spaces that added, not detracted from the environment." Environmental Philosophy: Moule says the most sustainable city A more sustainable city, Ecopolis (city) or Eco-city, has fewer inputs (of energy, water, food etc) and fewer waste products (heat, air pollution, water pollution etc) than a less sustainable city. In this context, sustainability is a relative concept. she's ever seen is Rome, Italy, where a limited space has been recycled, compacted and reiterated over hundreds of generations. "We're interested in the broadest possible resource reduction through the fewest number of moves. We want to create spaces that last many lifetimes and don't need to be remade re·made v. Past tense and past participle of remake. ." VIKAS SHRESTHA Age: 44 Title: Sustainable Design Coordinator, Associate Architect Organization: Steinberg Architects, Los Angeles Education: Architecture Degree, Kharkov Institute of Municipal Engineers, Ukraine; Master's and Ph.D. in architecture, UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX Job Description: Project manager who ensures a mandatory baseline is achieved for all sustainable design projects. Firm's minimum targets include 15 percent more energy efficiency than required by state law, reduction of water use in landscaping by 50 percent, and use of environmentally sensitive or recyclable materials totaling 10 percent. Also ensures a sustainable design "advocate" is present on every project to shepherd "green elements" through design, permitting and construction phases. Past Green Building Projects: Downtown L.A. office at 523 West Sixth St. was recently awarded LEED-CI (commercial interior) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Shrestha says the space is a showcase used to educate new clients about sustainable design and development. Current Projects: Northeast Academy Building and Student Services Building, Los Angeles Community College District The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is the community college district serving Los Angeles, California and some of its neighboring cities. In addition to typical college aged students, the LACCD also serves adults of all ages. , Harbor College. Shrestha used daylight modeling (miniature foam-core and cardboard designs analyzed with light meters) to reduce energy consumption where more than 60 percent of total energy used would be electrical lighting. "LACCD LACCD Los Angeles Community College District mandated their Harbor campus have a LEED Silver certification" Shrestha notes, "so our challenge has been to integrate climate factors like daylight so they become a part of the architecture." Interest in Green Building: Shrestha grew up in Nepal, where sustainable design is a necessity. "Developing countries can't afford to spend a lot of money on energy," he says, "so everything revolves around climate response and figuring out how to make buildings more comfortable from an environmental perspective" While on a Fulbright Scholarship Fulbright scholarship Educational grant under an international exchange program created to increase understanding between the U.S. and other countries. The program was conceived by U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright and instituted by the Fulbright Act of 1946. to UCLA, Shrestha added tools like energy modeling (analyzing a building's properties to determine total energy consumption), and cemented his passion for sustainable building. Environmental Philosophy: "Architects design buildings that are operational for a long time, so we have to consider long-term energy consumption and costs very carefully. Sustainable building is a return to the roots of architecture, where form and function are on par with aesthetics. It's a blend of old wisdom and new technology." MARK YAMAUCHI Age: 52 Title: Facilities Operations Manager See datacenter manager. Organization: Toyota Motor Corp., USA Education: B.S., urban planning urban planning: see city planning. urban planning Programs pursued as a means of improving the urban environment and achieving certain social and economic objectives. , California State Polytechnic University, Pomona History W.K. Kellogg develops Arabian horse ranch W.K. Kellogg, known for his famous Corn Flakes, had a life long passion for Arabian horses. After purchasing 377 acres at a cost of $25,000 USD, Kellogg developed the land into a world-renowned Arabian horse ranch. Job Description: Operational responsibility for the buildings in Toyota's south campus in Torrance; also assists the development team in managing LEED certification. Past Green Building Projects: Was part of a team that developed the South Campus facility, which consolidated operations at a lower occupancy cost Occupancy costs are the whole life costs of buildings and their associated land from occupancy until disposal. These costs may be incurred on a regular or irregular basis. Occupancy costs are those costs related to occupying a space including; rent, real estate taxes, personal . The 644,000-square-foot facility is LEED certified and has photovoltaic solar panels that create 536 kilowatts, enough energy to power about 500 homes a year. Also helped develop recently-completed distribution center in Portland, Ore., an energy efficient facility with low noxious emissions that recaptures rainwater. "Each project offers its own environmental opportunities. We wanted to show corporate America that it doesn't have to be anything unusual. You can build green in any project. We wanted to try and mainstream sustainable building." Current Work: Yamauchi is one of the people charged with rolling out Think Green!, an environmental education and awareness program that encourages company associates to get involved in Toyota's efforts in waste reduction, recycling and energy conservation. The goal is to use fewer materials and have less waste generated by the company. Interest in Green Building: Toyota's adoption of the Earth Charter in the early '90s-a pledge to conduct operations in an environmentally-friendly manner. The company is committed to reduce greenhouse gas greenhouse gas n. Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental Philosophy: "It's 'less is more.' Because the ultimate green building is no building. So the more efficient you can be, the better it is from an environment standpoint and a financial and production standpoint." TOM NEARY Title: Vice President, Director of Business Development Organization: Morley Builders Education: B.A., Urban Planning, University of Nebraska Job Description: Targeting all appropriate business opportunities for the firm with some emphasis on sustainable construction that results in productive and environmentally efficient buildings. Past Green Building Projects: The Fountain Park Apartments completed in 2002 was the first project of the Playa playa or pan or flat or dry lake Flat-bottomed depression that is periodically covered by water. Playas occur in interior desert basins and adjacent to coasts in arid and semiarid regions. Vista community. Owner/manager Essex Property Trust, Inc. built 705 units and 12,000 square-feet of retail space. Playa Vista's sustainability guidelines called for Morley to construct a site that was 28 percent more energy efficient than the state's Title 24 standards. Current Projects: The City of Santa Monica's 104,000-square-foot Main Library recently received an LEED Silver rating, which Morley achieved with only marginally higher building costs of 2-3 percent. The firm achieved the Silver rating, mandated by the city, by making it a part of all their specifications and bidding criteria to subcontractors and suppliers. They tracked bidding criteria to ensure all hires were fully compliant. Interest in Green Building: Neary said that sustainable construction is a topic of conversations with various clients, who have discovered that there are significant operational savings and worker productivity improvements in green buildings even if upfront costs might be higher. "Sustainable construction has become so pervasive in the marketplace that we would lose competitiveness if we did not have a significant presence. The gains are real and measurable." Green Building Philosophy. Long-term stewardship of natural resources and materials is the firm's driving force in the area of sustainable construction. "The recognition that there are more intelligent ways to design and build structures of all types is embedded in the way we conduct business." DEBORAH WEINTRAUB Age: 53 Title: Deputy City Engineer Organization: City of Los Angeles
Education: B.A. in Architecture, Princeton University; M.A. in Architecture, University of California at Berkeley (body, education) University of California at Berkeley - (UCB) See also Berzerkley, BSD. http://berkeley.edu/. Note to British and Commonwealth readers: that's /berk'lee/, not /bark'lee/ as in British Received Pronunciation. . Job Description: Oversees the architecture and engineering groups in the city's Bureau of Engineering; Weintraub and her staff provide core support to all capital improvement programs, new construction and major renovations. Past Green Building Projects: Weintraub was instrumental in pushing efforts to mandate the use of LEED design principles for all city funded projects. Prior to working with the City of Los Angeles, Weintraub worked for Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 11 million people with electricity. , where she had a hand in building the Newport Coast Elementary School elementary school: see school. . The K-6 campus in Orange County is energy efficient and has recycled content in its construction materials. She also worked on a yearlong, side-by-side comparison project for Beazer Homes in Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , in which one house was built using regular construction methods and materials, while the house next door was built using green design concepts and environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient materials. Current Work: As the primary capital delivery organization for the city, the Bureau of Engineering has more than 1 billion square feet of projects in the pipeline, all of which is to be LEED certified. It is likely that within two years Los Angeles may have the largest number of LEED certified buildings in the country, Weintraub said. Some of the biggest are new city police stations, fire stations and animal care facilities. "The single largest project, which we hope to get bids for this week, is the new police headquarters in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or . It covers about half a million square feet." Interest in Green Building: Weintraub's initial involvement in green design came through an interest in health, and the impacts of construction materials on well-being. "I saw folks around me being diagnosed with illnesses they were much too young for. That led me to explore the need to decrease environmental impact as standard practice" Environmental Philosophy: "From where I sit, which is in the public sector and building and operating on tight budgets, I advocate that we incorporate off-the-shelf type technology in green design. I support all things bleeding edge A pun on "leading edge." It implies that using the latest technology is often risky because it has not been tested with enough users and may not perform as expected. Introducing an advanced product or service is also risky because the user community may not be ready for it or really want in the arena, but they are not always workable from the standpoint of our constraints. We're looking to incorporate things that have demonstrated their viability. I try to think holistically-we don't have extensive maintenance budgets, so we have to use what we know works. We're looking to move the whole industry forward." LARRY EISENBERG Age: 54 Title: Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Development Organization: Los Angeles Community College District Education: B.S., urban studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at Cambridge; coeducational; chartered 1861, opened 1865 in Boston, moved 1916. It has long been recognized as an outstanding technological institute and its Sloan School of Management has notable programs in business, ; Masters in public administration, University of Texas at Austin “University of Texas” redirects here. For other system schools, see University of Texas System. The University of Texas at Austin (often referred to as The University of Texas, UT Austin, UT, or Texas Job Description: Overseeing all district facilities, including its $2.2 billion bond-funded construction program. Past Green Building Projects: As Washington County Washington County is the name of 30 counties and one parish in the United States of America, all named for George Washington. It is the most common county name in the United States. Department of Support Services support services Psychology Non-health care-related ancillary services–eg, transportation, financial aid, support groups, homemaker services, respite services, and other services facilities manager, he's proudest of two construction projects: a juvenile shelter, designed as a green building in landscaping, energy consumption and use of recycled materials, and a correction center that used recycled lumber found in a cold storage facility on the property. Current Projects: The community college district claims its construction program is the largest sustainable building project in the country, involving scores of renovated buildings that will incorporate LEED standards. One newly-opened Los Angeles Valley College LAVC redirects here. For the software library, see libavcodec. The university is adjacent to Grant High School. Often called "Valley College" or simply "Valley" by those who frequent the campus, it opened its doors to the public on September 12, 1949, at which time the campus was building incorporates sustainable landscape, native species, photovoltaic cells and high-efficiency fighting, heating and cooling systems cooling systems for housed animals include spraying of roofs with water, evaporative pads with fans, foggers and misters; for pastured animals shelter from the sun by trees or artificial shade devices and cooling ponds are used. . Also, he has proposed installing enough photovoltaic solar cells to take the district off the energy grid. Interest in Green Building: "In training as a city planner at MIT MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology one of the issues at that point was the growth of cities. I think that was the start of it. Ever since I have always been working on green programs and ideas. We can't go on the way we are and we're changing the environment in too dramatic a way." Green Building Philosophy: "The basis of sustainability is we need to provide for the future. We have to leave zero foot prints on the earth. That's the heart of sustainability ... Sometimes it's the choice not to use material when you might otherwise. We didn't put in any dropped ceilings in the shopping areas (of the new Valley College building) so we used less materials. We didn't really need them." JOAN LING Age: 51 Title: Executive Director Organization: Community Corp. of Santa Monica Education: B.A., sociology and anthropology, Chatham College; Master's degree master's degree n. An academic degree conferred by a college or university upon those who complete at least one year of prescribed study beyond the bachelor's degree. Noun 1. in architecture and urban planning from UCLA. Job Description: Runs nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. devoted to finding and managing affordable housing in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. A key mission of the organization is to provide environmentally sensitive housing to lower-wage working families. Past Projects: Her marquee project to date is an affordable, sustainable housing building at 502 Colorado Ave. in Santa Monica. The 44-unit building uses solar panels to generate heat and hot water, strategic window placement to reduce heat and on-site natural gas-powered microturbine generators to generate nearly all of the tenants' electricity needs. But Ling said that while large projects are fulfilling, smaller retrofit projects such as one completed on Delaware Avenue can be just as effective. "We came in and this building was in bad shape. We added energy efficient windows and doors, low-water landscaping and 4-to-6 inches of insulation to the roof. It's the simple and inexpensive changes that make the biggest difference in these buildings." Current Projects: Along with managing the Community Corp.'s 80 existing properties, she is also searching for new ones, such as Rand Corp. headquarters planned for Main Street in Santa Monica. The mixed use project will involve 325 mixed-income units and actually return power to the grid. Interest in Green Building: Ling's involvement with green building grew substantially after she took the position of executive director of the organization in 1991, though she's always had an environmental conscious. Environmental Philosophy: "I've always felt I should leave the world that I touch better than I found it." ED P. REYES Age: 47 Title: Los Angeles City Councilman, District 1 Education: B.A. English and Master's in architecture and urban planning, University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. . Job Description: As the chair of the council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee he plays a key role in sustainable development on large scale projects, many of which come before his committee. Past Green Buildings Work: Reyes smoothed the way for the Audubon Society to build its LEED Platinum-rated center at Debs Park in his district. The center features recycled materials, native landscaping and is the first building in the city to be entirely powered by on-site solar systems. Current Work: In addition to his efforts to guide LEED-certified buildings through the city approval process, Reyes is leading an initiative to install rooftop gardens on government buildings. The gardens can significantly reduce energy usage and air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. costs. He also is a strong proponent of ripping up the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River The Los Angeles River is an intermittent river flowing through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the west end of the San Fernando Valley, 51 miles (82 km) southeast to its mouth in Long Beach. to return it to a more natural state. Interest in Green Building: A native of Lincoln Heights Lincoln Heights may refer to:
adj. corn·i·er, corn·i·est Trite, dated, melodramatic, or mawkishly sentimental. [From corn1. , but I remember how great it felt to just step on grass when I was a kid. Kids from here play on streets and in stairwells." Environmental Philosophy: "I am trying to show that green space is not only aesthetically pleasing to the residents who live in neighborhoods but is also economically beneficial." JAMES THOMAS James Thomas may refer to:
Age: 69 Title: Chief Executive Officer Company: Thomas Properties Group Education: B.A., economics, Baldwin-Wallace College Baldwin-Wallace College is a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference including Mount Union College, Capital University, Heidelberg College, John Carroll University, Marietta College, Muskingum College, Ohio Northern University, Otterbein College, and Wilmington College. 1959; J.D., Cleveland Marshall Law School, 1963. Past Green Building Work: Thomas' company designed, built and operates the greenest high-rise in the nation-the 25-story Joe Serna Jr. California Environmental Protection Agency The California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) was created in 1991 by Governor Pete Wilson, through an executive order.[1] The agency combined six board, departments, and offices into one cabinet-level office:[2] Current Projects: In addition to various green design properties in the works, Thomas established the company's High Performance Building Fund, which is dedicated to the development of sustainable, energy efficient, and environmentally sensitive office and mixed-use properties. The fund is also earmarked for the acquisition of existing commercial buildings for conversion to high performance, or green operations. The goal is to add value to properties by making them more attractive to tenants through environmentally efficient and economical operations. Interest in Green Building: Thomas said one of the first developments that piqued his interest in green building was the Playa Vista residential/commercial community development in West L.A. Thomas' former partnership, Maguire Thomas Partners, bought into and helped plan the massive $7 billion, 1,100-acre residential/commercial community in the late 1980s. "Things just began to take root. We've been interested since then, and I think it's inevitable that there's a mega trend toward high efficiency, green buildings." Thomas said he believes the inevitable move toward sustainable development will soon render non-green building construction obsolete. Environmental Philosophy: "The thing about green building that I find most intriguing is the ability to have things in our projects that increase employee productivity. In business, the largest cost by far is compensation, it's many times more than building rent, so if you can have a building that's not only energy efficient, but can increase employee productivity, then you'll have a real leg up. There will be less sickness, less absenteeism, so the employees are there and performing well. People are impacted by the lighting, air quality, heating and cooling, as well as chemicals in the building, cleaning products used, paint and carpet." JOEL REYNOLDS Age: 53 Title: Senior Attorney, Director of Urban Programs Organization: Natural Resource Defense Council, Los Angeles office Education: B.S. in political Science, University of California, Riverside The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of ten campuses of the University of California system. ; J.D., Columbia University. Job Description: "My main charge is to identify environmental problems in the second-largest urban area in the U.S. and hunt down solutions on how to solve them." The council works cooperatively with local organizations and developers but also makes use of litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. . Past Green Building Projects: Spearheaded the construction of the NRDC's L.A. headquarters in Santa Monica, which became the world's first LEED Platinum-certified building in 2003. Current Work: "Having completed our own LEED Platinum green building here in Santa Monica, my role as an environmental advocate is not to become a green building developer-it is to continue to use our building as a compelling example in conversations with major developers about what can be accomplished. And why it is in their financial interest to seek LEED certification for their projects." Interest in the Environment: Growing up in smog-ridden Riverside the 1960s and 1970s, Reynolds recalled being concerned about the environment even then: "I was active and played outside almost all day during the summer and remembered being very aware of the poor air quality and the effects it had on me as well as the entire community." He also credited the political environment of the late 1960s and the personality of Robert F. Kennedy for spurring him to pursue a career that "focused more on social issues than personal." Environmental Philosophy: Never give up the fight: "Of course victories are great, but it's continuing the fight every day that is my favorite part of the job and what inspires me to continue." JOE SANDERS Age: 49 Title: Senior Vice President/Director of Operations Organization: Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd. Education: Purdue University, Bachelor of Science Noun 1. Bachelor of Science - a bachelor's degree in science BS, SB bachelor's degree, baccalaureate - an academic degree conferred on someone who has successfully completed undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering Job Description: As corporate director of operations, Sanders is responsible for overseeing field operations across all geographic regions, and leads the firm's ongoing efforts to research, develop and deploy innovative building methods and materials. Past Green Building Projects: 555 City Center, a 20-story, 620,000-square-foot office building in downtown Oakland that used green construction but is not LEED certified. Current Projects: Sanders oversees all of Pankow's large building projects, including the LEED Silver-certified San Mateo Library building in San Mateo, California San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the East, and Belmont to the south. . Another green building project in the works is a new police facility in San Mateo. Interest in Green Building: Sanders' involvement started with research on improvements in concrete construction and ways to design and construct buildings that survive earthquakes. Sanders said his early experience with concrete opened the door for him to learn about overall green design. "(It) exposed me to discussions on buildings that last which really is sustainability." Green Building Philosophy: Sanders believes construction firms should be highly involved in green construction through a process called design-build that puts them in close contact with architects. "Design-build brings the builder into the design process and breaks down the divisions between owner, architect and contractor to ensure that the intent of each LEED credit is met." JASON Jason, in Greek mythology Jason, in Greek mythology, son of Aeson. When Pelias usurped the throne of Iolcus and killed (or imprisoned) Aeson and most of his descendants, Jason was smuggled off to the centaur Chiron, who reared him secretly on Mt. Pelion. J. LORCHER Age: 37 Title: Director, Los Angeles office Organization: GreenWorks Studio (Consultants) Education: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State University Ohio State University, main campus at Columbus; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1870, opened 1873 as Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, renamed 1878. There are also campuses at Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark. Job Description: Uses computerized models to define a building's "envelope" (roof, walls, glazing) and create energy models that maximize efficiency for clients by as much as 60 percent over the state's Title 24 standards. Past Green Building Work: The firm helped the Los Angeles Library, Lakeview Terrace branch, secure a LEED-certified Platinum rating with a 52-point score in five key determinants: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality and materials and resources. Their work on the Sun Valley Library won a Savings By Design Award of Merit. Current Projects: "We're participating in the 2030 challenge, which the AIA AIA - Application Integration Architecture (American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Organized in 1857, the Institute conducts various activities and programs to support the profession and enhance its public image, including periodically awarding the AIA ) has issued to reduce 100 percent of fossil fuel energy consumption in new buildings by 2030" Among the projects in line with those goals is the Mothers' Club Community Center in Pasadena. Interest in Green Building: Lorcher grew up in Ohio, where his parents-a biology teacher and an industrial engineer -instilled a passion for the environment. "Green design allows me to use my engineering background to impact a building holistically. It treats the site as a living body that can give energy back to the environment." Environmental Philosophy: Life-cycle costs are the company's driving force. Green strategies like daylight sensors and displacement ventilation may cost more upfront, but they save money over the long term and create a more comfortable building to occupy. "The energy modeling we did for the Calabasas Library and City Hall secured the owner $90,000 in efficiency incentives (from state utility companies). It used day-lighting controls to reduce interior lighting by 30 percent, as well as high-efficiency HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) In the home or small office with a handful of computers, HVAC is more for human comfort than the machines. In large datacenters, a humidity-free room with a steady, cool temperature is essential for the trouble-free equipment, which employs chilled water to cool the building." |
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