From the ground to the friendly skies, visitors are greeted at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by a fleet of iconic pylons that display a rainbow of multi-colored hues. But even the collage of bright blues, reds and eye-popping magentas has taken on a hint of green.
The pylons, once powered by traditional lamps, are now aglow thanks to light-emitting diodes (LED), reducing power usage by 75 percent. This is just one example of what is being done to make Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) — LAX, LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) — evolve into one of the greenest transportation centers in the world.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s support and active involvement, along with his commitment to making LA “the greenest big city in America,” was a major force behind this monumental but necessary undertaking.
In addition, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC), a seven-member board that governs LAWA, adopted a green building policy in 2007 requiring new remodeling and tenant improvement construction projects at all facilities. The goal: to include design and construction elements that comply with the highest possible Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
But the board didn’t stop there. They unanimously agreed that should the U.S. Green Building Council adopt standards specifically applicable to airport facilities, LAWA would pursue the highest practical LEED certification.
Such a sustainability policy has been incorporated into the $723.5 million renovation of Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), the principal international terminal at LAX. TBIT is now leading the way as one of the city’s most innovative and impressive examples of conservation and preservation. It also has the distinction of being the first major building project at LAX to incorporate these LEED standards.
TBIT’s tech-forward heating/ventilation/air conditioning systems, as well as its super-efficient electrical and lighting systems, strive for significant reduction in power consumption, while new plumbing systems will result in additional water conservation.
To further the green effort, more than 75 percent of the construction and demolition debris will be recycled or salvaged. Local and sustainable building materials and finishes are being incorporated throughout the design of the new structure, which is slated for a completion date of March 2010.
