Sustainable Design

LCDG Sustainability

Designing for the environment has been a guiding principle at LCDG since the founding days of the firm. Good architecture has always been sensitive to the environment.

Daylighting, natural ventilation, solar shading, high efficiency building envelopes including high performance glazing systems, well insulated roof and wall systems, and highly efficient HVAC and lighting systems have been the keystone design elements for the majority of our built projects.

The first major buildings designed by LCDG included harvested daylight by means of light shelves, vertical shading fins and interior courtyards. The office areas were designed with hardwall offices located at the centers of the buildings to allow the majority of the personnel to have views to the exterior.

LCDG is committed to good stewardship and the responsible use of the land and material resources used to construct buildings. Another milestone for LCDG sustainable design was the Inland Empire Utilities Agency headquarters building that received LEED Platinum 2.0 certification for innovative design and integration of several renewable energy sources to supplement and eventually supplant the reliance on the power and utility grids.

IEUA's facility uses skylights and windows for view and daylight opportunities. The design extensively incorporated recycled and renewable materials; a photovoltaic roof-mounted array that is currently supplying 60 percent of power and lighting energy; toilet fixtures and irrigation systems operating with reclaimed water; and conditioned air generated by absorption chiller units fueled by methane gas from a dairy waste digester unit located on the site.

For more on IEUA, click here.