40th Annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards Announced

*Click on project links to see image galleries.

Grand Prize sponsored by MACERICH
LAPD Police Administration Building
Architect: AECOM in a joint venture with Roth Sheppard Associates
Contractor: Tutor-Saliba Corporation
Building Owner/Developer: City of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works, Bureau of Engineering

Civic Awards sponsored by DIFFENBAUGH
Civic - #1
California Science Center - Phase II - Ecosystems
Architect: EHDD/ZGF A Joint Venture
Contractor: Morley Builders
Building Owner/Developer: California Science Center Education Award sponsored by AECOM

Civic - #2
The Annenberg Community Beach House at Santa Monica State Beach
Architect: Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects
Contractor: Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd.
Building Owner/Developer: City of Santa Monica, Community & Cultural Services

Education Awards sponsored by AECOM
Education - Public
South Campus Project, Los Angeles Trade Technical College
Architect: MDA Johnson Favaro / Gruen Associates
Contractor: Taisei Corporation
Building Owner/Developer: Los Angeles Community College District

Education - Private
Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Caltech
Architect: Morphosis Architects
Contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company
Building Owner/Developer: California Institute of Technology

Green Building - Awarded to City of LA Police Stations - sponsored by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Hollenbeck Area Community Police Station
Architect: AC Martin Partners
Contractor: FTR International
Building Owner/Developer: City of Los Angeles

L.A.P.D. Harbor Replacement Station and Jail
Architect: Perkins + Will
Contractor: Pinner Construction Co., Inc.
Building Owner/Developer: City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering Prop Q Program

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Design for the Planet - May/June 2010 Issue - Sneak Peek

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What Color Is Your Lease? - Beyond the Grid

Green leases offer sustainable and financial benefits for landlords and tenants alike

By Ina Drosu

In an environment where the ecological lobby is prevalent, and the general economic downturn begs for practical innovation that reduces operating costs, green leases are steadily gaining the interest of landlords and tenants. Profitability is key to survival of commercial ventures; without it, loftier concerns fly out the window. What better way to harness broad improvement potentials than a lease structured as economic driver accommodating comprehensive environmental regulations and allowing for necessary changes over time?

According to a study done by CRD&MI, energy costs are 29 percent of landlord
operating costs while less than one percent is paid for by tenants.

Alan Whitson, president of Corporate Realty, Design & Management Institute, created a model green lease to serve as more than a “token gesture to sustainability.” The lease provides incentives for landlords to build cost-effective peak-performance buildings that address energy and water efficiency, emission reduction, and waste minimization. According to a study done by CRD&MI, energy costs are 29 percent of a building’s operating costs while less than one percent is paid for by tenants. Most commercial leases leave energy efficiency out of the equation. He adds, “in a booming market it’s easy to be green, but now, savvy people realize it is part of an economic strategy to improve performance and productivity.”

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