Sun Valley Branch Library

The Sun Valley Branch Library, located at 7935 Vineland Ave., has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in recognition of its superior expression of environmentally sound design. This is the second highest level of environmental award offered for buildings in the United States.

“This is a significant achievement. We are only required to meet LEED Certified level, but this project achieved two levels above that, at Gold, and is the City’s first LEED Certified project,” said Deputy City Engineer Deborah Weintraub.

“We are pleased to receive this Gold rating because it demonstrates the Bureau of Engineering’s commitment to sustainable design,” said City Engineer Gary Lee Moore. “In 1998, the LEED Rating system was incorporated into consultant contracts for the Library Bond program as a guideline. The Sun Valley Branch Library has substantially exceeded that goal.”
The project was commissioned by the Los Angeles Public Library as a part of the Library Bond Issue approved by the voters in 1998. It was designed by the architectural firm of Fields Deveraux Architects & Engineers. The Project Design Architect was James Weiner, AIA. Project management was performed by the Bureau of Engineering of the Department of Public Works. Construction was performed by the Toby B. Hayward Construction Company.

This project was accomplished under the direction of Library Facilities Program Manager Sam Tanaka. Richard Campbell was the project manager and the commissioning agent was Cyril Charles. They worked closely with City Librarian Fontayne Holmes, Library Division Manager Juliana Cheng, and Senior Inspector Brett McReynolds and Inspectors Petros Petrossian and Pail Vanos from Contract Administration.

This award was granted For the many environmentally friendly aspects of the project, both in the design of the project as well as in its construction, including the following:

• An integrated design approach resulted in a building that performs 40% better than required by California’s stringent energy code. Energy efficiency measures include high-efficiency lighting with daylight and occupancy sensor controls, a well-insulated high-mass wall system, a cool roof, well-shaded windows, and high-efficiency air conditioning units.
• Solar power provides over 20% of building’s electricity needs.
• An elegant landscape design, using native and locally adapted plants, allows reduction by half of the ware us in landscape irrigation compared to a conventional design.
• Water saving plumbing fixtures reduced by a third the potable water used in the library compared to Federal requirements.
• A white roof, certified as a “cool roof,” reduces local heat building-up that is a major problem in urban areas.
• Diversion of three-quarters of the construction waste from landfills to recycled uses.
• Recycled materials account for more than 10% of projects by cost in the library.
• Over one-half of the products used were manufactured locally, and more than half of those materials were extracted locally within 500 miles of the project.
• Over 50% of the wood products used in the building were sourced from sustainably-managed forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Three-fifths of all the wood used in the library came from rapidly renewable forests.
• Carpet systems, composite materials, paints, adhesives, and sealants all complied with strict standards to limit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that might irritate library staff and patrons.
• 90% of the library has natural daylight, which improves the quality of light in the reading and working areas and reduces the requirement for electrical lighting.
• All parts of the library have views to the landscape outside.

The Sun Valley Branch Library is one of 35 public facilities built or renovated as part of the 1998 Library Bond Program by the City of Los Angeles. The LEED Rating System was incorporated into consultant contracts for the Bond Program with the goal that each of the projects would achieve the basic level certification. The Sun Valley Branch Library project has substantially exceeded that goal and is exemplary of the mandate to demonstrate sustainable design concepts in the course of providing for enhanced library services for Los Angeles.

James Weiner points out that “This project is especially valuable because it demonstrates environmentally responsible design in a place that is both a literal and symbolic gateway to knowledge in the community.” Accomplishing this with an award-winning design is something the City is proud to have done.

The Sun Valley Branch Library is one of only a handful of buildings in the United States to achieve a LEED Gold Rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. It is only the fourth public library in the country to achieve this recognition. The public is encouraged to visit the Sun Valley Branch Library to experience how environmental responsibility informs the Los Angeles Public Library’s vision from community library service.