LA’s 40th Annual Architecture Awards Celebrate Sustainable Designs

The Los Angeles Business Council's 40th Annual Architecture Awards were just announced, and Inhabitat was on the scene to scope out some of the city's most incredible architectural marvels! Unlike other architecture awards that are decided upon by architects like the Gold Medal and the Pritzker Prize, the LABC awards are decided by a local jury that includes city officials, contractors, and developers. Surprisingly, a large cross-section of the jurors' selections are not only sustainable, but feature...

Lofts at Cherokee Studios by Pugh + Scarpa The Lofts at Cherokee Studios is one of the greenest mixed-use buildings on the West Coast. In addition to its LEED Platinum rating, Cherokee contributes to the urban fabric of LA through iconic architecture and cultural preservation. Professional home recording studios on-site keep artists working where they live and preserves the rich history of musicians like Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, and Michael Jackson who recorded over 300 gold and platinum...

Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Residences and JW Marriott at L.A. Live by Gensler The Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Residences and JW Marriott at L.A. Live is a high-rise exclamation point for a the city's comeback -- its construction created 3,600 jobs and the tower will employ another 700 people permanently. The hotel and conference center is the architectural beacon of L.A. Live.

Silver Lake Branch Library The LEED Gold Silver Lake Branch Library creates a public plaza backdrop for the building's library functions. The raised plaza and meeting room create a community gathering place, the glazed reading room removes the and

Lincoln & Rose The Lincoln & Rose project involved renovating an aged 75,327-square-foot neighborhood center in Venice that had become blighted, suffering from awkward additions, low-rent tenants and crime. Existing buildings were used to

Calhill Center for Astronomy & Astrophysics at Caltech by Morphosis Architects The Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics will allow Caltech's top-ranked astronomy and astrophysics faculty and graduate students to work together in a to The

Hidden House by Standard LLP The Hidden House in Glassell Park offers a unique example of local architectural innovation. The construction of this eco-friendly home involved incorporating an existing two-bedroom cottage into a new, larger structure, doubling the size of the residence from 1580 square feet to 3500 square feet.

Camp Emerald Bay Boy Scout Eco Cabin by Gensler The result of a pro bono effort by the architect and structural engineer, the Boy Scout Eco Cabin is designed to be functional and demonstrate good stewardship of the environment. It is made of two old

UCLA Campus Police Station by STUDIOS Architecture Located on a prominent site on Westwood Avenue and adjacent to the university physical plant, UCLA's new Campus Police Station partners with neighboring buildings to create a primary gateway to the campus. The design incorporates an industrial aesthetic with the university's traditional brick palette.

LAPD Habor Replacement Station and Jail by Perkins + Will The LAPD Habor Replacement Station and Jail were designed to fit in with the nearby harbor complex. The structure includes an oversized shipping container clad with corrugated metal and a monumental picture window that looks out onto the harbor.

Olympic Police Station by Greun Associates The LEED silver Olympic Police Station certified project explores the concept of "protection" by virtually extending the station's presence into the surrounding context. The plaza functions as an urban connective tissue, naturally channeling visitors into the entry lobby and engaging the intersection of Vermont and 11th Streets with the public entrance. Public meeting rooms and lobby spaces are carefully planned to further utilize the plaza as an extension...

Hollenbeck Area Community Police Station by AC Martin Partners Hollenbeck Police Station is a 54,000 square-foot, 2-story main building that houses a multi-purpose room, offices, temporary holding cells and support areas. Its green features include energy-efficient

Los Angeles NFL Stadium by MEIS Architects/Aedas Sport This 75,000-seat stadium is designed for a location in the City of Industry that is intended to house a NFL football team. The plans for the stadium call for nestling the seating bowl into a the

California Science Center: Phase II - EcoSystems The Phase II expansion of the California Science Center represents a significant step forward in the effort to restore Exposition Park and its surrounding community. The major expansion nearly doubles the

Frontier Project by HMC Architects The Frontier Project is a 14,000 square-foot demonstration building in Rancho Cucamonga, California designed to assist in educating resident consumers, commercial builders, and sustainable advocates about the latest

The honorable Anthony Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles, was on hand at the awards, noting that as a major metropolitan city, Los Angeles contains more LEED certified buildings than other similarly sized cities in the US.