May 19, 2004—Three building projects have received top honors in the 2004 Savings By Design Energy Efficiency Integration Awards Competition.
Savings By Design is a program to encourage high-performance nonresidential building design and construction. The awards were announced the competition’s co-sponsors: The American Institute of Architects, California Council, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison Company, and Southern California Gas Company.
“This year’s winning projects truly advance the edge of the energy-efficient design practice,” commented Grant Duhon, Savings By Design Senior Program Manager at Pacific Gas and Electric. “They not only provide beautiful building forms and conserve energy resources, but also serve as centers that inspire, educate, and celebrate the communities that provide their context.”
- Cesar E. Chavez Education Center, Oakland, Calif.
The new Cesar E. Chavez Education Center embraces its surrounding diverse urban community by creating a true neighborhood center through educational and childcare programs, and providing much-needed recreational and joint/dedicated community use places.
The design of the school maximizes natural daylighting and features maximum natural ventilation, passive heating and cooling, and a well-integrated, efficient lighting and control system.
- Challengers Tennis Club for Boys and Girls, Los Angeles, Calif.
The energy efficiency strategies embedded in the design include proper building orientation to maximize use of daylighting; the use of natural ventilation; use of high efficiency fluorescent lighting throughout the facility; and shading of windows and roof by a photovoltaic solar array that also provides a portion of the energy used by the building.
- Lake View Terrace Branch Library, Los Angeles, Calif.
Lake View Terrace Branch Library in the City of Los Angeles is a model of environmentally sustainable design and a civic landmark. Designed by Fields Devereaux Architects and Engineers of Los Angeles, the building was designed to respond to the community’s desire for a library that reflects the rancho tradition of the region, with interior spaces organized around an open central courtyard.
The orientation of the building and shaping of its forms protects the interior spaces from direct sunlight, controlling heat gain and preventing glare while maximizing daylight and views. A passive evaporative cooling tower marks the building entry and captures prevailing winds, delivering cooler air into the library lobby and courtyard.
