Im a white architect living in LA

There really aren't any LA-based firms that focus on sustainability /green design as their primary agenda - most firms fold these concerns into the rest of their work, and pursue them as they can. So it means there isn't the LA equivlent of Bill McDonough; but on the plus side, it means there are a lot of design agendas out there that encompass sustainablity. Some of the firms that have recently completed or are working on green buildings are:

Morphosis (CalTrans)
Moule & Polyzoides (NRDC)
KoningEizenberg (their own office)
Moore Ruble Yudell (Santa Monica Library)
Canon / Yazdahni Studio (Santa Monica Police HQ)
Harley Ellis Devereaux (Lake View Terrace Library)
ZGF (UCSB Bren School)
David Hertz / Syndesis (various residential projects)
SPF:a (various multi-family projects in the works)
Marmol-Radziner (Treepeople HQ)
La Canada Design Group (Inland Empire Utilities Bldg)
DMJM (RAND Corporation HQ)
DalyGenik (Art Center South Campus)

There is also an USGB-LA chapter. Searching their committee directory should also reveal the names of firms pursuing green design.

As mentioned above, David Hertz is really focused on green desgin and has done some creative projects. He's the one building a house out of a retired 747. He's super nice too. 747

I think Alan is right - I can't think of a single architect in LA (except perhaps Fritz Haeg, file under "other") that makes sustainability their bread and butter. Hertz markets himself as a green architect, but based on the stories I've heard from his ex-employees, it sounds to me like he's an opportunist. I mean really, the guy drives a Suburbahoe.

All those listed I think would qualify as dabblers, which is mostly function of our Westside rich liberal clients and the stipulations of the bond money that finances large public projects here.

Janosh's interpretation is basically correct. I would add that local government is also driving this agenda. Santa Monica has a strong green building program, and requires all building buildings to be LEED rated; Pasadena recently passed an ordinance for requiring commercial buildings to be designed to LEED standards (although not necessarily certified); and in Glendale we recently passed a downtown plan that gives height/density bonuses to LEED buildings.

Fritz is a landscape architect.

On that side of the green split, there are no ecological restoration/native plant firms equivalent to DIRT or Andropogon in SoCal. the closest would be Walter Hood in the bay area with his focus on social justice, or Rana Creek in Carmel.

MLA has one or two projects that are native plants/low water (ie. CA EPA HQ), but she never commits fully to ecologically based design as reveled in her corn field park submission. Melendrez, Ah'be, Pam Burton, et al have even less ecologically driven experience- damn shame. The only hope is Dry Design, and Cambell & Cambell, but these two firms don't really do larger projects. Even the large national firms with branches in los angeles don't offer any leadership in sustainability- though WRT in SD will only hire LEED-APs these days.

None of the local firms have any convincing green roof experience beyond Katie Spitz, though her work with Morphosis is much more an aesthetic driven project.



on the architecture side, there seems to be a locus of innovation with modular/prefab housing in Los Angeles...

i wish in los angeles there was a locus of affordable living with dignity and fair housing to all.

each step towards the autonomous buildings has my vote. however, affordability is another issue at this point and might very well choke the efforts or deems it privilaged based on recent examples of how only rich and famous can consider it 'within reach', quoted like that for a sling shot to glass coffee tables and enormous pocket sliders...

the city of santa monica has very useful pamphlets for the joe public renovation/new construction building projects. ditto with many municipialities of the world, but it is really comical to think one should think of a handful of westside architects when significant number of projects involved and a lot of these names are the ones who got an early ticket to opry, nothing much more, in reality.

no big deal. anybody reads any green brochure from be it a water or power company to a scholar writing a city policy, knows how to do/built many of the requirements for a less consuming living, environmentally.

some people in that list alan loomis just put out there for the starters, have projects and do apply some of the greener elements to their work when possible. but they also enjoy being in that type of list or short list as if they are the only ones who know and therefore advertise it as such and built all the condos and sfd's, in a nutshell.
maybe that is why i am reacting in such way.
green buildings, should not be a design decision or designers forte' but regular rule of building. this requirements applied to all material manufacturing and local building codes, etc., it is like that in many developing countries who are busy to apply these standarts without being elitist or ah so exclusive.
so really, why only a handful of names? as if it is a rocket science or ground breaking innovation which are not.

Yes, yes limousine liberals chafe and are satisfying targets but I am more inspired by creative recycling efforts than those Corinthian columns adorning the ranch homes on Canada Blvd. Alan, that’s exciting that Glendale is offering incentives for Leed buildings.

'ranch homes on Canada Blvd'.
great quote, i'd like to use it someday.

uh...I'm not sure what else to call them.

it is perfect with mucho lumber and all. each corinthian pillar representing a tall tree, farmed or not but wasted nevertheless.