Lakers training facility – UCLA Health Training Center – achieves LEED Platinum. Los Angeles, Bay Area and Orange County LEED consultant VCA Green serves on design team
VCA Green is proud to announce the new Los Angeles Lakers office and training facility has recently earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ®) Platinum Certification. VCA served as the LEED and energy consultant through design and construction.
Named the UCLA Health Training Center through a partnership with UCLA, the 120,000-square-foot facility in El Segundo will serve as both the Lakers’ training facility and the home court for the South Bay Lakers (the Lakers’ NBA Gatorade League team). The building contains two full basketball courts and state-of-the-art features to enhance training, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and injury prevention and treatment.
Project Targeted for LEED Gold but Elevated to Platinum
The high profile facility started with the objective for LEED Gold but was elevated to LEED Platinum as the Lakers and design team raised the bar on energy efficiency. In awarding Platinum Certification, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) approved the project at 80 points.
VCA Green was selected as sustainability consultant to work on an elite project team that included project manager Pica + Sullivan Architects, Ltd., architect ROSSETTI, general contractor Morley Builders, and interior designer Perkins + Will. The Lakers participated in Southern California Edison’s Savings By Design (SBD) program, which provides cash incentives and technical/design assistance to maximize energy efficiency and sustainability for non-residential construction.
Electricity Consumption Projected to be Reduced by 34 Percent
Projections indicate the energy efficiency measures installed in the facility will reduce electricity consumption by 34 percent compared to the national LEED baseline and by 20 percent compared to California’s Title 24 Building Standards Code. Energy savings are projected at 532,000 kilowatt-hours (or $80,000 annually) when compared to electricity usage/costs of facilities that meet California’s Title 24 Building Standards Code baseline.
In an SCE case study, Lisa Estrada, Lakers’ Vice President, Facilities and Building Operations commented, “We have a responsibility to the community given our platform as an NBA franchise, and we want to do what’s best for the community in the long run. At the same time, we want to be a steward for the environment and lead by example for what other teams can do.”
Key Approaches Taken by the Design Team
To help the Lakers achieve its sustainability vision, VCA Green worked closely with Lakers management and the project team, citing three key approaches that enhanced the process:
- Early energy modeling, energy code design review, and building commissioning to help deliver a well-tuned, code compliant building while maximizing utility rebates and improving the owner’s bottom line.
- Application of an alternate performance path, which provided 8 additional points for LEED compliance and helped the project achieve LEED Platinum.
- Deep building operations knowledge and strong familiarity with building codes to help avoid costly delays and change orders. Creative re-engineering with the installation team helped deliver the project on time.
“It was inspiring to work with an organization that sets the bar for excellence,” said Moe Fakih, VCA Green’s Vice President and lifelong Lakers fan. “It was extremely rewarding to be part of an elite design team and help the Lakers make decisions that served both the environment and the bottom line with enhanced energy efficiency and strengthened operational performance.”