Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2011 - (Page 25)

SPECS CATEGORY: Special Recognition PROJECT: Central Avenue Constituent Services Center, Los Angeles, California , 7585-square-foot green roof AWARD RECIPIENT: Image courtesy of Paul Murdoch Architects Paul Murdoch Architects, Beverly Hills, California DESIGN TEAM: A COMMUNITY OASIS IN CENTRAL L.A. he new Central Avenue Constituent Services Center demonstrates sustainable development in an area that has had few such precedents – an example of how sustainability integrates social, political, cultural and economic issues within communities. A public roof garden this is the first municipal green roof for the City of Los Angeles. The neighborhood city hall is located in an area of Los Angeles with one of the lowest parkland to resident ratios in the city, and marked by violence and extremely low-to-medium household incomes. Single and multi-storey commercial development along Central Avenue and single and multi-storey residential development along the side streets characterize the area. The project goal was to create a new space to bring the community together, while providing an educational tool to the public through the visible, architectural expression of environmental innovations. To give the site a park-like feeling, the design establishes a grid of trees throughout reinforced by the building structure, façade rhythm and paving pattern. The community features a jazz festival each year to celebrate the history of jazz unique to Central Avenue. As jazz-like counterpoints, curved and angled walls, stairs and an elevator, and solar panel arrays that track the sun play off the grid’s regular rhythm. The public roof garden is easily accessed from a courtyard and the planting is seen from surrounding streets. The garden provides secure, public open space, rare in the community, and doubles zoning requirements for open space. The roof garden also demonstrates environmental alternatives in an urban context that mitigate stormwater runoff, heat island effects and reduce building energy loads. The roof garden is planted with over 40 organically grown plant species native to Southern California and adapted to the extreme growing conditions present on an urban roof. Salvias, Agaves, Penstemons and other flowering natives have been chosen to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Sedums and fragrant ground covers like rosemary, lavender and sage blanket the planted beds, and climb over the sides of the building. Larger shrubs frame the garden and provide seclusion around seating areas. The 12"- 18" growing medium of scoria, aged compost, peat, sand, and perlite sits on top of a roofing assembly that is built to withstand extreme temperatures. Rainwater runoff from the roof parking area is directed to a custom-designed underground cistern. The water from the cistern is then directed to a drip irrigation system used for onsite landscaping at the ground level. This water conservation goes a long way towards ensuring the sustainability of the green roof in Los Angeles’ dry conditions. D Landscape Architect – Burton & Company Green Roof Consultant – Rana Creek Green Roofing Assembly – Henry Company Structural Engineer – Sato & Boppana MEP Engineer – IBE Consulting Engineers Civil Engineer – RBA/ Mollenhauer Commissioning Consultant – Expedient Energy Specifications Writer – Chew Specifications Cost Estimator – Ciaran P. O'Halloran T “OFFERING THE FIRST MUNICIPAL ROOF GARDEN FOR THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD CITY HALL INTRODUCES FORWARD-LOOKING ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES THAT ENHANCE BUILDING PERFORMANCE AND PROVIDES A NATURAL REFUGE FOR THE COMMUNITY IN A TOUGH, URBAN AREA.” Luv Khot, project designer, Paul Murdoch Architects LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR FALL 2011 25

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2011

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2011
Contents
From the Founder
Strata
On the Roof With…
Research
Marketing
Policy: The Game Changer
Policy: Toronto’s Green Roof by-Law
Policy: Energy Code Break-Through
Tools
GRHC: Update
GRHC: Welcome New Members
On Spec

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2011