The ultramodern Santa Monica Civic Center parking garage in Santa Monica, Calif., is one of the first parking structures in the United States to be LEED certified. Completed in January 2008, the 300,000-square-foot (27,870-m2) parking structure features 900 spaces on eight levels. Designed by Santa Monica-based Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners to visually inspire, the parking garage also responds to its gateway position within the city’s Civic Center master plan.
“The parking structure establishes a strong presence within a cluster of civic buildings that includes the historic city hall, courthouse and public safety building,” said James Mary O’Connor, principal at Moore Ruble Yudell. The structure offers a visually memorable arrival point and gateway to the Civic Center, in addition to a street-level retail and café, a garden, spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and the city, along with a sense of personal safety.
Additionally, the design team was challenged to create a building that exemplified the city’s commitment to sustainable design, while strengthening the urban fabric and providing public amenities according to O’Connor.
Architectural Mesh
Featuring pre-cast white, ribbed concrete panel that are set in a rhythmic, variegated pattern on all façades, the structure also utilizes a woven metal fabric system from Cambridge, Md.-based Cambridge Architectural that acts as a uniquely stylish, durable and recyclable space-dividing façade which conceals the stairs in the garage. Matching the building itself, the mesh panels offer cutting-edge appearance and performance as part of the new aesthetic landmark in the city.
“We used a lot of faceted, colored glass panels in the parking structure, and Cambridge’s stainless-steel mesh complements these very well to create a unique overall design,” O’Connor said. “Mesh is a striking material from any distance, and we find that the closer you get to it, the more refined it looks.”
“The mesh always looks good, and has required minimal maintenance,” O’Connor continued. “It is unaffected by the tough environment around it, and has kept its original straight, continuous architectural plane.”
“Cambridge was on the job site with us, noonly helping with the actual installation but also determining the very best way to make the mesh work on the structure,” said Steve Siciliani, project executive for Tustin, Calif.-based Woodbridge Glass, the general contractor and installer on the project.
Cambridge’s Parkade system was fabricated with mesh in its Balance pattern and installed with its J-hook tension attachment hardware. The architectural mesh’s recyclable nature, along with its unique aesthetic and durability, made it the perfect material for welcoming guests to the Civic Center.
“We used Cambridge’s mesh at the entrance of the structure in order to create and reinforce a gateway identity to the Civic Center,” O’Connor said. “It defines architectural space, but doesn’t block light-instead, it captures light and acts as a translucent veil for the building.”
Sustainable Features
The LEED certified parking structure features a variety of sustainable features, many within the areas of stormwater management, landscaping, energy performance and recycled material.
The project exceeds the local BMP guidelines inthe removal of solids and contaminants and features a CDS Storm Water Pollution Control Unit that is designed to remove 80 percent of the first flush solids before entering the city’s water system. The site also includes limited landscape and paved areas and drought tolerant plant species. Reclaimed water meets 100 percent of plant water demand, which aids in the smart irrigation system that helps maximize efficiency through drip irrigation, flow control bubblers, and rain and soil sensors.
The high-efficiency glazing system has a lower solar heat gain coefficient that is required by Title24, and photovoltaic panels provide 43 percent of the structure’s total regulated energy. Improved garage light efficiency and T8 fluorescent light fixtures were used, in addition to an HVAC system with zero CFC based refrigerants.
Structural and miscellaneous steel, aluminum framing, glazing, the way finding sculptures and concrete aggregate all feature a percentage of recycled material. Whenever possible, materials were manufactured within 500 miles (800 km) of the project site, including steel, rebar, concrete aggregate, site concrete, metal door frames, glass and drywall. In addition, 78 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfill sites to city recycling centers.
Santa Monica Civic Center Parking Garage, Santa Monica, Calif.
Architect: DWL Architects + Planners Inc., Phoenix,
and Douglas Sydnor Architect and Associates, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Executive architect: International Parking Design, Los Angeles
Architect: Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners, Santa Monica
General contractor/installer: Woodbridge Glass, Tustin, Calif.
Structural consultant: Frame Design Group, Los Angeles
Curtainwall engineer: Werner Systems, Tustin
U-Glass panels distributor: Specialty Glazing Systems, La Quinta, Calif.
Colors on glass panels: Grosvenor Solutions in Glass, Kingsgrove, New South Wales, Australia
High-efficiency glass: PPG, Pittsburgh, www.ppg.com
Metal mesh: Cambridge Architectural, Cambridge, Md., www.cambridgearchitectural.com
Photovoltaic panels: RWE Schott Solar Inc., Albuquerque, N.M., www.us.schott.com
U-Glass panels: Bendheim Wall Systems, Passaic, N.J., www.bendheimwall.com
