The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) board of trustees adopted a sustainable building plan in early March to incorporate energy-saving and environmentally friendly features into its new structures.

A year ago, Los Angeles voters approved the $1.2-billion Proposition A bond measure that will fund new construction and renovation at each of the nine campuses of LACCD, the largest community college district in the country with more than 120,000 students enrolled annually. Some 50 to 60 new LACCD buildings are planned over the next decade.

Under the sustainable building plan, new structures with more than 7,500 square feet and that are more than 50 percent funded by Proposition A would be required to incorporate green building practices advocated by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification program.

LACCD’s board of trustees worked with the local community and environmental organizations like the Sierra Club and Global Green as they developed their plan. “Given the size and complexity of [LACCD’s] building program, we felt we needed to adopt a well-defined process for meeting our sustainability goals. We wanted to be both environmentally protective and fiscally responsible,” LACCD chancellor Mark Drummond told RECORD.

Implementing LEED-certified standards for its new buildings will add an estimated $3 to $5 million in construction costs for each of the nine campuses. The district plans on costs offset by rebates, incentives, and long-term savings due to conservation of energy and water. Construction management firm DMJMH+N is overseeing LACCD’s construction program. The colleges are now engaged in planning and design work. Leo A. Daly , Gensler, and Sasaki Associates are among eight firms developing master plans for the district.

Deborah Snoonian, P.E.