The Science Complex was designed by the Los Angeles office HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA) and built by Pinner Construction of Anaheim, Calif. The project team also included Saiful/Bouquet of Pasadena, Calif., JMC2 of San Pedro, Calif., Fundament & Associates of Irvine, Calif., FBA Engineering of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Hunt Design, also of Pasadena.

The L-shaped building includes a three-story wing that houses state-of-the-art laboratories and a two-story wing that is home to interactive classrooms, offices and student lounges. Connections to the exterior environment are provided via an outdoor classroom, open-air corridors and a science courtyard.

A various-patterned façade reflects contextual and natural biological patterns to create a dynamic campus gateway from adjacent parking, according to a statement by HGA. For instance, plaster and brick were added to the exterior to complement existing campus building materials. Fenestration and corrugated-metal panels in different tones are a design nod to the nearby Port of Los Angeles, and suggest DNA sequencing patterns as rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels cast shadows across the façade and courtyard, according to the firm.

As evidenced by the building’s LEED Platinum status, many sustainable strategies were also integrated into the facility, including photovoltaic panels connected to the campus PV system, occupancy-sensor lighting, natural ventilation and daylight, energy-efficient windows, integrated building systems that respond to weather and daylight conditions, energy-recovery system that converts exhaust air into energy and classroom monitors that track energy production/usage from the PVs.

“The SCUP Honor Award recognizes the role architecture plays in shaping the student experience and improving learning outcomes,” said Satoshi Teshima, AIA, LEED AP, senior project designer with HGA. “By making science more accessible throughout the architecture, the Science Complex quite literally weaves the campus and building fabric into each other. The building becomes a backdrop and stage for campus activity and science learning as open gathering spaces and exterior corridors bring students and faculty to the forefront. It has been a great privilege to work with L.A. Harbor College on this project and we are thrilled to win the Honor Award.”


 

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The goal of 7x7x7 is to show the need for not only incorporating sustainability into the design and construction of new school buildings, but also leveraging the thousands of existing school buildings to make them more water and energy efficient, according to a statement by HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA), an integrated architecture, engineering and planning firm with four California offices. The case studies were also intended to help green California’s aging school facilities with design concepts that will reduce energy and water consumption. Conceptual case studies were completed by each architecture firm for their assigned public school and were presented to California legislators, local professionals, education leaders and the office of Gov. Jerry Brown last month in Sacramento.

HGA was the only firm matched with a higher education facility — Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC). The firm was specifically tasked with reducing energy and water usage at the college’s science building. To create a sustainable future for LATTC, HGA recommended multiple solutions that cultivate a positive learning experience, produce more energy than consumed, completely eliminate carbon emissions and significantly reduce water use. HGA’s approach begins with zero energy rather than applying incremental reductions to move towards zero. This net positive approach focuses on key performance targets including human experience, energy carbon, water, waste, materials and best value.

The 1970s-era LATTC campus lacks natural lighting, is a high water user and has not made significant strides toward energy efficiency. HGA’s recommendations went beyond simple low-flow water systems to challenge the way the campus community thinks about water usage holistically. If all of the recommended water solutions were implemented, LATTC could save two million gallons of water per year, roughly equivalent to the amount of drinking water needed for 7,300 people for an entire year, according to the firm.

HGA also recommended solar panels be placed atop the parking canopies, improving the efficiency of the HVAC system, and design strategies that allow additional natural lighting to flow into the building to promote wellness and improve learning. Should LATTC choose to implement all of the study’s recommendations, HGA estimated that the school could save between $80,000 and $200,000 in annual energy costs.

“We need to change the way we’re thinking in order to change what we’re doing,” said Patrick Thibaudeau, vice president of HGA’s sustainable design practice, in a statement. “Our vision for LATTC encompasses small changes schools across the country can implement, which will not only improve efficiency overall, but will advance students’ learning, wellness and productivity.”

“With over 400 higher education institutions in California, the savings from these recommended changes can create an exponential impact on energy and water use,” added Kaveh Amirdelfan, principal on the project, in a statement. “As initially envisioned, such an impact can positively influence student life and pedagogy throughout the state, and also can be implemented throughout various regions in the nation.”

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The three-story, 73,767-square-foot complex houses the physical science and life science departments, and opened in fall 2013. Apart from earning high LEED marks, the facility also integrates a number of sustainable strategies helping it achieve net-zero energy use as well. These strategies include the use of building-integrated photovoltaic panels (BIPV) connected to the campus PV systems, occupancy-sensor lighting, natural ventilation, abundant daylight, integrated building systems that respond to weather conditions, an energy-recovery system that converts exhaust air into energy, and exterior corridors and outdoors classrooms that reduce energy loads, according to a statement by designer HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA) of Los Angeles.

“The building is designed to be net-zero energy, and its renewable energy plan was accepted as part of the LEED Platinum certification,” said Patrick Thibaudeau, LEED fellow and vice president of sustainability at HGA, in a statement. “For a high-energy building such as a science laboratory, this is a major accomplishment.”

Some of the building’s key performance metrics, according to HGA, include:
• 55 percent lower energy costs compared to baseline
• 31 percent of energy provided by BIPV (remainder from central campus system)
• 600,000 +/- pounds of CO2 avoided from energy conservation
• 2,000,000 +/- pounds CO2 offset by net-zero energy
• 64 percent less irrigation water use
• Zero potable water used for irrigation
• 54 percent less overall building water use
• 98.4 percent construction waste diversion
• 42 percent recycled content materials (LEED minimum 10%)
• 28 percent local materials (LEED minimum 10%)
• 69 percent Forest Stewardship Council certified wood (LEED minimum 50%)
• $103,000 potential annual energy cost savings.

HGA currently is conducting a 12-month energy verification audit and is planning a post-occupancy evaluation survey to measure occupant satisfaction and usage, according to a statement by the firm.

“College campuses are incubators for research, innovation and new technology that feed into the educational process,” said James Matson, AIA, principal at HGA. “Design-forward projects such as Los Angeles Harbor College Science Complex allow colleges to shape the future of learning by transforming classrooms into laboratories on sustainable design and energy usage. Through our integrated architecture, engineering and planning strategies, HGA partners with clients to research and implement new approaches to sustainable design, net zero energy, and resilient design. The Science Complex is a model for holistic approaches to sustainability, which will continue to inspire our ongoing work nationally.”
 

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The project sets new standards for sustainable design and bringing high-performance building technologies into the college’s curriculum. The construction of the project is expected to begin this July.

“The College of the Desert’s vision for a self-sustaining campus is to produce more energy than it consumes,” said James Matson, AIA, vice president and director of HGA’s Los Angeles office, in a statement. “The plan emphasizes energy production along with substantial conservation and energy efficiency, waste recovery and biomimicry in partnership with green industries and education initiatives. The campus will consider the site’s unique ecology and natural resources to create a national model for sustainable research and teaching that supports the local economy and educational needs in Coachella Valley.”

The project includes 50,000 square feet of academic space and is slated for completion in January 2015. The campus will feature wind turbines, solar panels and a culinary arts center, among other highlights.

“The overall design vision for this project is focused on making it a national model for innovative sustainable strategies,” said Satoshi Teshima, AIA, LEED AP, project designer, in a statement. “The result will be an iconic campus that not only serves as a landmark and gateway to Palm Springs, but reflects the city’s history of mid-century modern architecture.”

Along with HGA working on the design, Tempe, Ariz.-based Sundt Construction is serving as the construction manager on the project. Both companies have a strong commitment to sustainable building, which can be seen directly in the design plans for the College of the Desert.

“This project has forward-thinking goals that go beyond net-zero energy to embrace a zero-plus plan that creates renewable clean energy rather than simply using less energy,” said Patrick Thibaudeau, LEED AP, vice president of sustainable design at HGA, in a statement. “The zero-plus plan targets five integrated sustainable goals — zero-plus energy, carbon, water, waste and materials. The plan emphasizes on-site electricity production through photovoltaic solar panels and establishes consumption targets to be less than or equal to available resources.”

The College of the Desert’s new West Valley Campus is not the only project at the college taking place. HGA is also working with the college’s Applied Sciences Building, which includes new construction and renovation of an existing building on the Palm Desert campus and is targeted to achieve LEED Silver certification.

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