Six Buildings Awarded in 2020 Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge

Six buildings have been granted awards in the 2020 Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge. The annual sustainability awards were held virtually due to the pandemic with nearly 200 people tuning in. Among the winners, Jonathan Rose Cos. won portfolio of the year; Kilroy Realty's Westside Media Center won for energy efficiency project of the year; Century Housing's Florence Avenue Villas won affordable housing project of the year; and Kaiser Permanente's Harbor Medical Center won for water performance of the year.

"At LABBC we say that innovation is not just about technology—it's about people.  It's about people pushing boundaries, and finding new ways to drive continuous improvement," David Hodgins, executive director of LABBC, tells GlobeSt.com.  "A common thread between this year's Finalists was their ability to engage stakeholders and find win-win solutions."

This year, LABBC added an affordable housing award category because the asset class is in high demand and severely undersupplied in Los Angeles. "Affordable Multifamily is a major focus for LABBC, and for the City," says Hodgins. "People should not have to make trade-offs between paying their utility bills and filling prescriptions, and owners of affordable multifamily housing operate on razor thin margins.  We have to find cost-effective ways to reduce utility costs on both sides.  These projects are great examples of how to do that—our job is to spotlight them, and help other owners follow their lead."

The program has grown consistently since 2011. It now has more than 100 million square feet of participating buildings. "The program is recognized as one of the most significant sustainability initiatives in the world," says Hodgins. "There is more to be done. Our City's science-based targets include reducing energy use 22% and GHG emissions 50 percent by 2025 per square foot for all building types. To achieve that kind of market transformation, we need proof points. We need examples to follow."

In addition to the private winners, LABBC also awarded the walk the walk energy award to Los Angeles Community College District and the walk the walk water award to the City of Los Angeles' City Hall East. "High-performance buildings are more flexible, cost less to operate, and provide a healthier environment for occupants," says Hodgins. "Sustainability has to be a central element of Cities'—and individual companies'—strategies to bounce back from this massive disruption we're all experiencing. Growth in sustainability will happen at the nexus between protecting occupant health and controlling utility expenses – the good news is that those two issues have always been closely connected."

Looking ahead, the program is continuing to set high goals and encouraging buildings to set new standards in sustainability. "More and more real estate companies are incorporating Environmental Social Governance principles into their due diligence processes, underwriting, all the way into their leases," says Hodgins. "We're working hard to accelerate that trend. To hit our climate goals we need Class B and C buildings on board, too. That's why the City passed its Existing Buildings Energy and Water Efficiency Ordinance, which requires all buildings over 20,000 GSF to benchmark and disclose energy and water use every year, and take action to improve those numbers over time."