Celebrating Sustainability In Public Works

Dec 23, 2011 10:21 AM ET
Campaign: CSR Blogs

Posted by Antonio Pasolini

Two Californian civic buildings have earned a coveted B.E.S.T. in Public Works title from the American Public Works Association, the professional association of public works leaders. The B.E.S.T. in Public Works awards recognizes public agencies for their outstanding projects and programs. Amongst the criteria are sustainability, innovation, mobility, beautification and overall creativity. The buildings were designed by LPA, a sustainable architecture company in business since 1965.

The first project was the police headquarters created for the City of Hesperia, completed in 2010. Part of a Civic Center master plan and developed in partnership with Griffin Structures, it sits across from the city hall and public library, both of which were completed in 2006. Earlier this year, the 42,000-square-foot station received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Rick D'Amato, the project's senior designer, included overhead skylights to bring natural daylight into the internal atrium and common spaces, which is quite a feat in a maximum security building.

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Antonio Pasolini is a Corporate Social Responsibility writer for Justmeans. A media graduate with a specialization in film and TV, Antonio Pasolini is the editor of Energyrefuge.com, a top web destination for alternative energy products, news and commentary. With more than a decade's experience in journalism, Antonio has written on a wide range of topics, from technological breakthroughs by the brains at MIT to a trip to sustainable projects in the Amazon. One of his new projects involves an eco print magazine to be distributed from a selection of London shops.