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Posts Tagged ‘green’

Eco-Friendly Parking

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

I’ve driven by the Santa Monica Civic Center about a million times on the way to our design studio. This weekend, walking around while waiting for my car to be serviced, I got a closer look at what is arguably the hardest to miss piece of architecture this side of the 405. It will be the country’s first LEED-certified parking structure, a rating based on a green point system given by the US Green Building Council.

You’ve never parked so eco-friendly until now, even in a Prius. If you’re wondering what could make a parking structure “green”, read on. For one, the structure’s roof is clad with Photovoltaic (solar) panels to generate electricity. These panels, in turn, provide shade for the vehicles parked beneath, reducing the amount of air conditioning a driver might use when they leave for their next destination. The steel used to build the structure is made of 68% recycled material. Electrical charging outlets are provided in 14 of the spaces for electric vehicles. The list goes on….

The only thing that could make this structure greener is to require locals to ride their bikes rather than drive to the Civic Center! In fact, the facility actually provides “mini garages” for bicycles to encourage a fuel-free ride to the center.

Tags: green, Green Building Guidelines, LEED, Materials, parking, Santa Monica Civic Center
Posted in Green Living, Materials | No Comments »

Million Trees LA

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

I was excited to read about LA’s latest landscaping partnership. LADWP (LA Department of Water and Power) and Million Trees LA are teaming up this month in an effort to get more water-wise trees into our Angeleno soil. Million Trees LA will donate up to 7 free trees (delivered right to your door) to residents willing to plant the trees themselves. A free online tutorial is available, and it takes less than 30 minutes to learn how.

There are 30 varieties of LA climate-friendly plants and trees to choose from, take your pick. This includes the beautiful Pink Trumpet tree, seen above. The trees, planted thoughtfully, will shade a home and result in lower energy and cooling bills and less use of water. Don’t forget the joy of watching the beauties leaves change colors this fall. Not sure yet? Here are some cool facts about just how much you can benefit by planting:

-AC use and associated costs reduced up to 20%

-Shade outside AC units, helping them to operate 10-15% more efficiently

-Create barriers to the wind to keep winter heating costs down

-Act as a sponge by removing the carbon from CO2 (a greenhouse gas)

-Providing shade to the lawn, whichin turn will require less watering

-Increase property values by 5-20% (compared to non-landscaped homes)

-Add color and character to our community (not to mention the free fruit if you choose a species of fruit tree!)

Though our city is already very abundant with foliage, it never hurts to plant more, especially if it will selfishly lower a personal bill and make the façade more attractive. This sounds like a fun Sunday afternoon project to me! Shovel not included.

http://www.milliontreesla.org
http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp009614.pdf

Tags: eco-friendly, energy saving, free trees, green, interior design, ladwp, landscaping, million trees LA, tree planting, trees
Posted in Events, Green Living | No Comments »

[LORI DENNIS INTERIOR DESIGN]

Lori Dennis formed Lori Dennis Interior Design, specializing in green interior design, in 1998. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Coastal Living, Southern Accents, Woman's Day, Los Angeles Times, Apartment Therapy and countless other magazines, books and websites throughout the world. [more..]

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