Inhabitat LA | Inhabitat Local - Los Angeles

Architect Patrick Tighe’s Nodul(ar) House Uses Plug In “Apps”

The pursuit of modular building has produced many unique ideas, but perhaps one of the most intriguing is the Nodul(ar) House by Architect Patrick Tighe. A form follows function design approach the house is based on a simple panelized core with plug-in nodes for services. Think of it like buying apps for your house, you have the basic cube where you can plug in the type of kitchen you want or add another bath. The core living unit is composed of prefabricated aluminum panels making for a unapologetically contemporary look.

Santa Monica to Ban Plastic Bags

Starting next month, the phrase “Paper or Plastic?” will become obsolete in the City of Santa Monica. Spurred by the likes of Heal the Bay and other environmental activist groups, the local City Council voted unanimously in January to ban the plastic bag in all parts of the city, beginning enforcement in September. Although often considered one of the more sustainable cities in the greater Los Angeles region, Santa Monica is not necessarily a first mover in California when it comes to the ban. The city will be joining the likes of San Francisco, San Jose, and the unincorporated ares of Los Angeles County which are all taking efforts to put an end to the amount of waste and harm caused by the unnecessary use of plastic bags.

Local Library is a LEED Platinum Diamond in the Rough

Channel glass illuminates the interior of the Silver Lake Library with day light, helping the local library earn its LEED Platinum certification. The library, designed by M2A Architects, features a 45 foot high channel glass spine that serves a dual purpose, creating a public plaza that embraces the larger community while creating a welcome backdrop for the library’s primary public spaces including the reading room. In addition, the split-level design allows for plenty of subterranean parking while the plaza provides for a clean connection to the pedestrian street traffic, encouraging participation of the community in library activities such as book fairs.

Bel Air Presbyterian PreSchool is an Eco Village For Learning

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

Herman Miller Showroom First to Earn LEED Platinum-CI

Herman Miller’s Los Angeles Showroom is the first to earn LEED CI Platinum in Los Angeles, and was only the 47th LEED CI Platinum project worldwide at its completion. The interior renovation to a former 1956 warehouse required special consideration by architecture