Los Angeles | Inhabitat

Bel Air Presbyterian PreSchool is an Eco Village For Learning

by Bridgette Meinhold, 08/15/11

filed under: Architecture

Some lucky children in Bel Air may soon get to attend a brand new school through the Presbyterian Church. Envisioned as a tiny village composed of classroom buildings and surrounded by courtyards and play yards, the Bel Air Presbyterian PreSchool is expected to be an ambitious center for early learners. Beverly Hills-based Poon Design has created the vision for the new preschool, which is still campaigning for money to build the project. The project is aiming for LEED certification and includes plenty of safe, natural and environmentally friendly materials along with energy efficient design.

Five Farming Initiatives For Healthy Living in Los Angeles

by Lori Zimmer, 08/14/11

filed under: Farmers Markets,Green Space

Improved farming, fortified foods and healthcare have slowly increased life expectancy over the years. But recent studies have shown that today’s children have lower life expectancies than that of their elders - a huge indication of the effects of processed foods, chemical addititves and just general poor diet habits that are so common in the United States. But thankfully, many programs in Los Angeles are speaking up, and working toward fighting childhood obesity and diabetes by promoting healthy living and eating. Here are a few to check out.

Green-Roofed Los Angeles Holocaust Museum by Hagy Belzberg is Buried Underground

by Tafline Laylin, 08/12/11

filed under: Architecture,Sustainable Design

The horrors of the holocaust should never be hidden, but burying the Los Angeles museum in Pan Pacific Park insuch a way that it chronicles the history of historic event while helping to prevent any further environmental or social damage is somewhat ingenious. Designed by Hagy Belzberg, the 32,000 square foot museum museum manages to humanize the events that took place (considering the cold nature of its contents) from the subterranean depths. MOreover the thermal inertia combined with the insulating effects of the green roof makes the sprawling concrete structure as energy efficient as possible.

ARCHITECTURE

HW8 Prefab Homes Have the Open-Air Feeling of a Loft

by Lori Zimmer, 08/11/11

filed under: Architects,Architecture,Green Services

Work Plays‘ HW8 homes deliver the notion of loft like design in a prefabulous package. We admit that typical architecture in the Los Angeles area has trended toward open, loft like spaces. However, Prefab homes are generally unable to meet the same airy qualities of constructed homes (especially multi-family), until LA-based Work Plays’ presented their solution. The HW8 Prefab townhouse combines the affordability of a prefab, with the open-air feeling of a loft, all while remaining eco-conscious.

ARCHITECTURE

Belzberg Archiect’s Award Winning Concept Eco Hotel Ray

by Lori Zimmer, 08/10/11

filed under: Architecture

When building on the original site of the studio occupied by the legendary Eames design company, one may feel pressure to pay proper tribute to the design gods. The firm Belzberg Architects rose to the challenge, and designed the aerodynamic Hotel Ray. Although never constructed, the eco-hotel earned the firm critical acclaim and a Green Concept Design Award.

ARCHITECTURE

Stunning Off-Grid iT House Sits Peacefully Within the Tranquil Desert Landscape

by Diane Pham, 08/09/11

filed under: Architecture

Californians often take their gorgeous landscape for granted, but leave it to an architect to remind us of all the glory that stretches out before our very eyes. Located in Pioneertown, the itHouse is a stunning off-grid construction that pulls the outdoor elements in for both aesthetic and energy. Designed by Taalman Koch, the home utilizes a modular, prefabricated system to cut down on waste and labor, as well as a number of passive heating and cooling measures. Conceived as a small house with glass walls and open floor plan, the itHouse beautifully melds the indoors with the surrounding landscape all while maintaining a light footprint on the delicate site.

ARCHITECTURE

Manhattan Beach Mixed Use Project Boasts Green Roof Big Enough For Lawn Sports

by Bridgette Meinhold, 08/08/11

filed under: Architecture

Green roofs are pretty common these days, but you don't often see one that is large enough to play lawn sports on. The W-V Mixed Use project combines three residences, underground parking and a commercial space on busy Manhattan Beach Boulevard. An incredibly unique project designed by Beverly Hills-based Poon Design, the mixed use residential commercial building also includes a variety of recycled materials, local materials brought in from no more than 500 miles away, and integrated noise control strategies to ensure the happiness of the future home onwers.

MPG Car Rental Provides Los Angeles with Green, Environmentally Friendly Rental Cars

by Evelyn Lee, 08/07/11

filed under: Transportation

In an economy where the prices at the pump continue to rise, MPG Car Rental hopes to differentiate themselves from the competition by providing an all hybrid fleet of vehicles and by offering a special MPG Test Drive, encouraging more consumers to buy green autos. What does that mean exactly? Through a partnership with local dealers, the MPG Test Drive will allow would-be buyers an opportunity to literally take the make and model of their potential car for an extended test drive (up to four days) for free, if they end-up purchasing the car of a similar make and model as the one they rented. Worst case scenario? Renters decide not to purchase the car and have to pay for the rental, but hopefully the experience will allow people to make a more educated decision about buying a hybrid.

ARCHITECTURE

Trendy Standard Hotel in Downtown LA Converted From Historical Landmark, Superior Oil Building

by Lori Zimmer, 08/06/11

filed under: Architecture,Destinations,Nightlife

The Standard Hotels have become synonymous with style and nightlife in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. Architecture firm Koning Eizenberg converted the Superior Oil Company Building into the trendy downtown Los Angeles location. A building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the architects had to respect the original design, while creating a hip center for nightlife for the boutique hotel.

ARCHITECTURE

David Hertz’s Panel House Made With Prefab Industrial Refrigeration Walls

by Bridgette Meinhold, 08/05/11

filed under: Architecture,Sustainable Design

Some projects require a heavy duty solution and traditional methods just won't cut it. When David Hertz was asked to build a home right off the ocean in Venice Beach, he resorted to industrial materials to get the job done. Rather than the local standard stick-frame construction, Hertz used steel columns and beams to create a clear span structural system integrating prefabricated panels usually used in refrigeration buildings. The use of industrial materials not only cut down on cost but also maintained a high energy efficiency standard for the home while preserving critical views of the ocean and beach. It also doesn't hurt that there are solar panels and a pool on the roof.