impressive solar panel facade on LA school by brooks + scarpa

impressive solar panel facade on LA school by brooks + scarpa
all images courtesy of brooks + scarpa architects

just now completed, the ‘green dot amino leadership’ charter high school by american firm brooks and scarpa architects is an innovative and sustainable building that also encourages kids to learn. located in a south los angeles neighborhood, directly under the flight path to LAX and adjacent to the busy 105 century freeway, the site already had its challenges. aesthetics, sustainability and cost effectiveness were considered along every stage of the construction.

designed to enhance passive sustainable strategies, the large solar panel facade and open-air courtyard both visually inform and define the building’s exterior presence. the approach along the street edge is at once dramatic and unique. the eco-friendly school offers abundant natural light, ventilation and views, while providing sufficient shading and airflow. the south facade is clad with 650 solar panels, that provide a massive 75 percent of the school’s total energy requirements — reducing the overall number of carbon emissions by more than 3 million pounds. taking full advantage of los angeles’ temperate climate, a landscaped courtyard and multifunctional bleacher-type terracing flows out to the open-air covered lobby and multilayered paseo. the students are exposed to a new learning experience through the design, which also sets an example for school typologies in the area. the integrated sustainability principles not only have significant environmental benefits, they also offer the children an uplifting atmosphere in which to learn.

the south facade is clad with 650 solar panels, that provide 75 percent of the school’s total energy requirements