After three years of construction, the dust has settled at Urban Corps of San Diego County’s three building campus in mid-city which includes two soon-to-be-LEED® Certified buildings. The result is a state-of-the-art campus loaded with green features which serves as a model of sustainable building, working & living practices. Urban Corps provides job training & education to youth in the fields of conservation, recycling, & community service, so what better place to do that than in these sustainably designed buildings! Building materials were chosen for their recycled & renewable content as well as those with low amounts of hazardous chemicals, which help reduce air pollution and create a safe, enjoyable environment. Most furniture was donated, saving money & raw materials. In the classrooms, one server powers all work stations, eliminating the need for personal computers, saving energy & reducing heat output. Solar tubes capture natural light from the roof & channel it to offices so lights are rarely needed. When lights are on, motion sensors detect inactivity & turn off. Windows open, providing fresh air, minimizing the use of AC, saving money and energy, and providing a wonderful location in which to work & learn.Other green elements include aerated faucets & low-flow toilets that help save water & energy; native and near native plants help reduce water; and special drains filter storm water for debris, removing contaminants before runoff enters watersheds. The Community Training Room features a 23-kilowatt SDG&E-owned solar system which provides clean renewable energy to the neighborhood. The adjacent green vehicle wash includes water reclamation technology to filter soap & debris for water reuse & prevent dirty runoff. The newly constructed Recycling ECO Center is dedicated to conservation education & includes a rooftop garden, conveyer belt & compactor machine to train youth on sustainable living & the recycling process. The garden features drought tolerant plants & an “edible wall.” A rainwater capture system, composting & vermi-posting support the garden. The garden provides a hands-on learning space while creating a sustainable green landscape.The completion of the green campus is quite a feat given the vast blend of public & private funders that joined forces to accomplish the shared vision. As the Corpsmembers work to change their lives, this progressive environm

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With the type of budget most restaurants put into their bathrooms, the blah's un-design was put together and opened in less than six weeks. Tapping into the power of Craigslist, the Blind Lady's interiors consist of the barstools out of El Cajon's longest standing bar, the chairs from the Hard Rock La Jolla, oak flooring from a warehouse in east village, a 1960s Hamm's billboard out of some guys garage in Oregon, shelves and a bar made out of pieces and scraps left behind by the previous owner, mountains of wood out of people's backyards, a cold box from a subway sandwich shop and a host of equipment purchased at auctions. The sum of all these parts is a warm, livable, enjoyable re-vamp of a space that didn't fill our already busting dumps—in fact, some of the interiors came from the dump. Heart & Soul.

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The San Diego-based law firm Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and operating in a sustainable way. When it started planning to move into new office space at 525 B Street downtown, the firm incorporated sustainable building principles with original design and technology features into its new offices, including a first of its kind "living wall" as part of its two-story open air meditation garden complete with a water feature at the top of the 22 story building. Businesses such as restaurants across the nation are embracing edible living walls, but it is still rare for occupants of traditional business space to incorporate these sustainable elements into their buildings. That's why we were proud to install this living wall for Procopio, and take part in their sustainability efforts, not to mention, a beautiful space. The wall was constructed and planted over the course of two weeks onsite. It is composed of two 64 square foot sections on a north facing wall. Each is made up of 73 individual plants, all commonly known houseplants including Imperial red philodendrons, variegated spider plant, golden pothos, mother and bird's nest ferns, arrowhead plants, and various colorful bromeliads. The new building is one of the first in San Diego to obtain LEED® Certification for Existing Buildings, while Procopio is pursuing its own LEED® Certification for Commercial Interiors.

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San Marcos is going urban after 12 years as the fastest growing north county suburban city. San Marcos approved not just a couple of blocks, but 200 acres to become the largest mixed use urban development north of the Gaslamp District. University District (UD) fully integrates residential, retail and office uses in a dense, transit oriented and walkable community. UD is located adjacent to CSUSM and a Sprinter station and south of SR 78. A free shuttle will connect all areas with three Sprinter stations, employment centers, shopping and Palomar College. A main street Lifestyle center of 500,000 sf will feature residential and office uses above retail, dining, and entertainment, and a major freeway visible corporate office area will be fully integrated into the adjacent residential/retail mixed use area. UD incorporates a future 800 student elementary school site easily walkable from most of the 2,600 multifamily homes, 4 parks interspersed throughout the residential development, paths connecting the parks to the San Marcos Creek trail system, and pedestrian bridges linking UD with surrounding neighborhoods and CSUSM. Additionally, there will be up to 800 student housing units adjacent to the campus with parking on campus only. The project exceeds the proposed LEED ND standards and individual buildings will meet or exceed LEED Silver standards. The entire community of UD is designed around a Form Based Code (FBC) standard that will allow uses to change with the market over time. The FBC designates greatly reduced parking standards and encourages cross usage of those parking spaces by different building types. Other State of the Art Transportation Demand Management (TDM) features include “Park Once” Strategies, unbundled parking costs from leases, car sharing and parking benefit districts. University District evolved from an 18 month long process involving a publicly appointed Task Force and the San Marcos Planning Department that held over a dozen public meetings and workshops. The project received strong public support and was approved unanimously by both the Planning Commission and City Council with not one citizen voice in opposition. The City of San Marcos approved not only a state of the art Smart Growth project but did so by building broad public support in the process. The City of the future in North County!

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High Tech High North County in San Marcos has been in operation since 2007. This Fall it begins its third year in a beautiful new building designed by Studio E Architects and built by Bycor General Contractors. High Tech High North County is a prime example of what great things can be done with limited budgets and timelines. Studio E’s plan organizes school activities around an active “Main Street” gallery the school’s primary social space and display area for student work that links a series of educational neighborhoods of classrooms, exploratories, and studios. Designed to emphasize sustainability and community, the building carefully attends to its setting by capturing prevailing breezes and daylight while limiting direct solar gain. The use of simple materials in innovative ways has created a vibrant building that enhances the learning environment. The project was also designed with sustainability in mind and has received the EPA Energy Star Program, Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Verification, and US Green Building Council LEED Silver Certification.

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While airports haven’t traditionally been associated with sustainable design, San Diego International Airport has long been a leader in this area. It was one of the first major airports in the U.S. to adopt a formal sustainability policy, is operated with the utmost respect for its unique natural setting – an urban center on the shore of San Diego Bay – and now, is undergoing a $1 billion improvement project called The Green Build, that exemplifies sustainable development. The Green Build will pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification or its equivalent. Goals of the project’s sustainable design include decreased water usage, reduced energy consumption, use of alternative energy sources, emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources. Specific features include: New Building Elements - Low-flow water fixtures - Low-water-use landscaping - Maximum natural light - Energy-efficient artificial light - Enhanced building envelope/windows and shading - On-site renewable energy - Reflective (cool) roofs - Cool pavement - Energy Star equipment - Lighting/HVAC controls - Power and preconditioned air at jet gates, reducing need for auxiliary and/or ground power use - Charging stations for electric vehicles - Use of alternative fuel vehicles - Indoor chemical and pollutant source control - Indoor air quality management plan Construction Elements - Recycle & reuse building materials, including grinding up used concrete on-site and reusing in construction - Management of construction waste to divert from landfill - Use of regionally sourced materials (within 500 miles) - Use of equipment running on alternative fuels or with certified particulate traps - Use of low-emitting materials, adhesives & sealants In addition, the Airport Authority dedicated $45 million to remediate the land for The Green Build, formerly a landfill that contained household waste and contaminants. The Airport Authority navigated numerous hurdles to perform an innovative clean closure – under budget and on schedule – excavating the waste and disposing of it offsite at properly permitted disposal facilities. This landfill clean closure protected public health and enhanced the surrounding environment by removing a potential source of groundwater contaminants. This is one of the first clean closures on an airport site in the U.S. and sustainably provided the needed land for The Green Build.

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As part of San Diego Yacht Club’s lease renewal with the Port of San Diego, construction for the improvements to the club facilities is now completed. The existing locker buildings, pool heads, junior clubhouse, maintenance building and dry storage areas north of the main clubhouse were demolished and replaced with new, state-of-the-art structures including associated site work, public artwork, and an ADA gangway. Since the team wishes to pursue LEED-NC Silver Certification, charettes have been held to review the LEED certification scorecard. Some of the proposed sustainability measures are: Building materials such as concrete, masonry and cement board were selected for their environmental sensitivity, longevity and ease of maintenance. Wood products were proposed in selected areas because of their renewability as a natural resource with acknowledgement given to over-harvesting of certain species. Solar water heating system services showers, restrooms, laundry and solar pool heating panels as well as provisions for future photovoltaic panels for on-site generation of electricity. Design incorporates natural ventilation and daylighting strategies as well as high-efficiency heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems for energy savings. Low-flow plumbing fixtures for water savings.

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The 35,880 GSF High School Building, targeting a LEED for Schools GOLD certification is designed for 360 students (grades 9 - 12) and 48 faculty and staff. The two-story School includes, 19 classrooms and 4 science laboratories linearly organized within opposing wings. Central to each wing is a student Reading Room, hierarchically differentiated by butterfly roofs for distributing daylight. The Reading Rooms reflect the team oriented approach to the School’s instructional methodology. Extending instruction to the exterior, overhead doors open to learning courtyards protected by trellises and canopy trees for shading. Interior material selections were guided by longevity, durability and environmental impact. Specifications include low VOCs, recycled content, and forest certified woods. The environmental building systems reinforce the School’s academic mission, student awareness of, “global engagement” and “ethical responsibility”. Modeling for daylight control and harvesting guided the placement of windows, light shelves, shading devices and solatubes. Photo sensors and occupancy sensors work in tandem with user lighting control to automatically adjust lighting levels. Over 99% of instructional and regularly occupied non-instructional spaces achieve daylight and views. Dynamic thermal modeling guided passive ventilation design for regularly occupied spaces. The Reading Lounges and building lobby have been modeled for passive ventilation. Classrooms, laboratories and office areas are afforded cross-ventilation by operable windows and relief air vents to the building roof. Classroom occupant comfort is predicted to be within the comfort zone without supplemental conditioning 49% of the year. When occupant comfort can not be maintained, an efficient Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system is on stand-by. Potable water use will be reduced by low-flow fixtures and waterless urinals. The project targets a 30% reduction in water. An SDG&E sponsored 1,500 sf (15 kW) rooftop photovoltaic array will offset the School’s energy use by approximately 2.5%. Thanks to passive ventilation and energy efficient day lighting the High School’s overall building energy performance is projected to be approximately 40% less than a building designed to California Energy Code. Native and adaptive plant selections irrigated with recycled water is estimated to reduce irrigation water by over 50%.

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Designed by Martinez + Cutri Architects, Ten Fifty B is a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly high-rise located in downtown San Diego’s East Village. Soaring 23 stories, the distinctive tower is the tallest building on the West Coast devoted entirely toward meeting the rental housing needs of individuals, families and seniors earning 20%-60% of the San Diego County’s Area Median Income. In keeping with Affirmed Housing Group’s mission to be one of the premier green builders in San Diego County, Ten Fifty B is well on its way toward earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, making it the tallest such building on the West Coast. At Ten Fifty B, residents live in an elegant, light-filled tower that was designed to harmonize with nearby expensive high-rise condominiums and engineered to reduce waste and consumption. Rents for the 229 studios, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments, which provide many of the same amenities found in other privately-owned condominiums in the area, are modestly priced from $493 to $1,261. Residents enjoy great views, an abundance of natural day lighting, granite countertops, and Energy Star appliances, as well as stylish furnishings made largely of recycled materials. In addition, there is an on-site resident computer lab, 4,000+ square feet of common area, a community room, outdoor gathering areas and barbecue pits. The state-of-the-art laundry room has a call system to alert residents when their loads are done, thus eliminating needless elevator trips. Residents are within walking distance of such employment centers as Petco Park, hotels, restaurants and City College, as well as to bus and trolley lines. Energy-efficiency was given high priority, resulting in a building that is designed and constructed to use 21% less energy than allowed under California’s Title 24 requirements. Ten Fifty B’s sustainable features include: • Low VOC paint/carpet • 100% smoke free • 35% of all materials were locally sourced • 10% of all materials were made from recycled materials • Recycle chute on each floor • Many interior finishes are made from rapidly renewable resources • Diversion/recycling of 75% of construction waste from local landfills • Highly reflective roof to mitigate the City’s heat island effects • Low-flow toilets and fixtures • Photovoltaic and solar thermal panels • Regenerating elevators • Solar-efficient windows

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In late June of this year, more than two weeks ahead of schedule, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., completed construction for the new 279,000-square-foot Rady Children’s Hospital Acute Care Pavilion, creating a healing oasis like no other in the country. The new $260 million Acute Care Pavilion is the first acute care facility in the state to meet the rigorous standards for quality and safety mandated by OSHPD, while also achieving the level of occupant health and environmental sustainability required to earn LEED-Certified status. The facility will be equipped and staffed to receive patients on Oct. 10. The Acute Care Pavilion will house a much-needed surgical center, 84 medical-surgical beds, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and a cancer center. It also will provide 16 operating rooms with associated support departments, a 28-bed hematology and oncology unit, and a 10-bed bone marrow transplant intensive care unit. The facility earned an “Innovation in Design” credit for the introduction of a series of healing gardens that utilize sustainable design principles and embrace the hospital’s healing arts program, which seeks to enrich the experience of patients, families and staff via visual and performing arts and provide "time out" opportunities from the stress of medical crisis. Central to the theme of the Acute Care Pavilion is the “River of Life”, manifested through an immense, four-story mineral panel that incorporates a kinetic lighting system and radiates a rainbow of vibrant colors through the front entry curtain wall. A mosaic tile version of the "River of Life" flows from the mineral lobby wall, out the front door and into the first-floor courtyard, which serves as one of several healing gardens named "Carley's Magical Gardens". The project team achieved 23 percent below Title 24 requirements for energy efficiency. The building utilizes recycled and locally obtained steel, concrete and other building materials; low VOC-emitting paints, glues, carpet, and wood; water-efficient landscaping; and abundant daylighting. A reflective concrete "cool roof" system helps minimize heat gain and control rainwater run-off, and painted steel screens conceal rooftop mechanical systems. The entire campus has been declared a "no smoking" zone. The new Rady Children's Hospital Acute Care Pavilion is on track to achieve 31 of the 26 points needed for LEED Certification.

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