South L.A. debuts its first 'green' building
With solar panels, more trees and recycled building materials, the renovated Exposition Park branch of the Los Angeles Public Library received a gold rating from environmental group.
South Los Angeles is home to the area's first "green" building with the debut today of an environmentally friendly library in Exposition Park.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilman Bernard Parks, library officials and 500 area residents gathered this morning to celebrate the opening of Exposition Park-Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Branch Library at 3900 S. Western Ave.
"Libraries are safe havens to discover the world around us," Villaraigosa said. "We can't have enough libraries in our community. It's a living laboratory that we can build in a way that can also help sustain us going into the future."
The library reopened after being shut down most of the summer for renovations, which doubled the 30-year-old library in size to 14,500 square feet, according to Peter Persic, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Public Library system.
Touted as the first "green" building in South L.A., the library used the new construction rating system LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, developed by the U.S Green Building Council. There are four certification levels awarded by points using the LEED standards, Persic said.
Not only is it "green," but the Exposition Park branch is "gold" as it met certain LEED standards in its reconstruction. Water use was reduced by 30%, more trees were planted to provide shade and use less energy, and recycled materials such as bamboo flooring and cotton insulation were used in its construction.
"It has more computers and more space for books and people, including a meeting room, an adult literacy center and special storytelling areas for children and teenagers," Persic said.
One of the most visible changes comes in solar power. Photovoltaic panels donated by the Department of Water and Power are placed on the south side of the building and on the roof to generate electricity from the sun, Persic said.
francisco.varaorta@latimes.com
