LACCD Project Earns BREEAM Rating

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Community College District announced that the historic Van de Kamp Bakery building in Glassell Park, which will become the Northeast Center of Los Angeles City College, is the first construction conversion project in the United States to achieve a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method rating.

BREEAM seeks to minimize the adverse effects of new buildings on the environment while promoting healthy indoor conditions for the occupants. The environmental impacts of a new building, such as energy use, waste disposal transportation concerns and water usage, are assessed at the design phase.

Amy Garrod, a UK-based BREEAM assessor said, “The adaptive reuse of the existing bakery building retains the historical value of the site. The building’s design includes photovoltaic panels, high energy efficiency, and green building education stations, all of which contributes to the building’s BREEAM rating.”

The Van de Kamp building will also be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified standards. The LEED Green Building Rating System, similar to the UK’s BREEAM, is the U.S. standard for developing sustainable buildings.

The LACCD also has been recognized as one of seven recipients of the 2005 Flex Your Power Award in Education and Leadership for its efforts in adopting energy efficiency measures at its nine college campuses.

The 2005 Flex Your Power awards recognized 35 organizations for their efforts and achievements in energy efficiency. Initiated in 2001, Flex Your Power is California’s statewide energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign that targets organizations, governmental agencies, businesses and individuals operating in California.