Extreme Green The Koll Airport Professional Center

A continuing success story on many levels, Koll Airport Professional Center was a two-story industrial buildings that do not perform in an architectural “brown zone.” Koll Company brought in the Southern California-based design firm LPA Inc. to change the structure into a professional office building with sustainability in mind. From chocolate green zone to zone, which Koll Airport Professional Center received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for Core & Shell.

Called for close to John Wayne Airport, the Koll Airport Professional Center offers flexibility and affordability in a series of office suites designed sustainably. Space that can serve as one of eight for office space between 3,000 to 40,000 square feet.

“We saw the potential for nothing but in this building. We’re happy to take the old industrial buildings, with underground parking bonus and turning them into top-quality office product,” said Koll’s Scott Meserve. “We have the addition of interest because of our unique look and because we are one of several green projects in the city.”

Structurally, the two wings of the building functioned as one. This information feat of design and engineering of two independent stable structure for a single fee. Today produces interior and exterior lighting louvered canopy shaded the court, covered by a simple but modern exterior.

Sustainable features

* Buildings that have come with a number of sustainable features that include the sub-grade parking and access to public transportation.
* Preferred parking has been set aside for fuel efficient vehicles.
* Overall, 76 percent of the existing exterior walls and structural elements used again.
* High performance pipeline equipment to reduce water needs by more than 40 percent.
* A high-efficiency irrigation system reduces water needs by 50 percent.
* All the perimeter of the glass was replaced with high performance low-E coated glass.
* There is built rigid roof insulation and replaced with a layer of white PVC “cool roofs.”

The design of the building envelope is a key component for energy efficiency. Louvered canopy, vertical and horizontal lens and to regulate the work window openings shade from the sun and minimize heat gain. The sun that did not attack the glass surface which is managed by high-performance glass with low-e coating. High efficiency lighting can be found all over the underground parking lot and the building core. Design and construction of interior improvements to increase savings guidelines calling for efficient roof interior lighting and mechanical equipment.

The center is designed to exceed the stringent California Title 24 energy code by more than 17 percent.

“This building is a model of how to reposition underutilized, and repurpose the building’s poor performance to benefit local communities and residents for decades to come,” LPA architect Keith Hempel finished.