Green Reading

Santa Monica, Calif., library earns LEED certification.

 

Santa Monica, Calif.’s new Main Library has earned a Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program, according to a report in the LookOut News (Santa Monica, Calif.).

 

The library is the city’s first building to earn Gold-level certification, according to the report.

 

The 104,000-square-foot building was designed by Moore Ruble Yudell and opened in January 2006. Sustainable features that contributed to its LEED certification include:

 

  • Spaces that take advantage of natural lighting
  • Air conditioning that turns off when windows are open
  • A 200,000 gallon underground cistern that collects and recycles rainwater runoff
  • Rooftop solar panels.

 

The library is the third LEED-certified facility built by the city, according to the report. The Public Safety Facility and Virginia Avenue Park both earned LEED Silver ratings in 2004 and 2006.