BAP 03 SITE

BAP 03 Site Context & Climate | Los Angeles, CA | SOM Architects

Site Context

The UCLA Geffen Medical Center is located in the urban fabric of Los Angeles, with high foot traffic and pedestrian activity on its southeastern end of the campus. To respond with the public’s need for circulation through the area, the architects allowed for an “open” building design that lets the public circulate through. This response places more emphasis on the public realm and its pedestrian entryway, than its previous main vehicular access.

Throughout the year, temperatures in this area range from extremely hot(over 100 degrees Farenheit) to moderately cool(mid-60s). Having this extremely arid Mediterranean climate, the site of the Geffen School of Medicine encouraged a design that allowed for open circulation and outdoor shared spaces but also shading. To address this, a massive courtyard shaded by the surrounding wings of the medical school provide a comfortable outdoor space to relax, and with 30% of the passageways being outdoors I believe the building adapts to the climate nicely. As for more specific design choices, each orientation of the building properly adapts to the solar differences; the southern faces use long horizontal overhangs while the eastern and western faces use vertical fins to create maximum comfort and thermal efficiency.

Climate Analysis

BAP 03 Site Study | Los Angeles, CA | SOM Architects

The design team responded to the transition from the broader context to the specific site to the building itself by creating an “open” building allowing for the public realm to circulate through the building. The building serves as the “front door” to the UCLA School of Medicine while engaging the surrounding community of Westwood. This allows for an increase in pedestrian activity as the southeastern entryway of campus.

The transition from public to private realm is one that is a more layered transition with a pathway that allows for the public to transition directly into the courtyard of the building. This gives the pedestrians options to veer off the pathway and enter the building or simply use it as a campus entry leading up to the CRZ plaza.

1/64”=1’

Roads

Context building UCLA Geffen School of Medicine

Vegetation Public to Private Threshold

BAP 03 Regional Resources | Los Angeles, CA | SOM Architects

WATER

The LADWP provides the vast majority of the water for the campus of UCLA. The primary sources for the LADWP are the Los Angeles Aqueducts, local groundwater, and supplemental water purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) are the primary sources of water supply for the City of Los Angeles (City). As for the MWD, the major sources for that water distribution group are the Colorado river aquaduct and the State Water Project’s Aqueduct. Currently, the number of recycled water projects is growing and stormwater capture projects are being implemented to supplement the supply of water to LA.

From the building, water would enter the UCLA local sewer system. Then, waste water would be taken to the nearest water treatment plant: the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant.

Here, the water would be treated before either being reclaimed or reaching the end of its journey in the Pacific. To help reduce overall waste, this facility employs a system which allows them to extract Bioresources which can be used as an alternative energy source. In fact, the plant is actually largely powered by local extraction and burning of methane. Also, some of the wastewater is repurposed for landscape irrigation, industrial processes, and groundwater replenishment. Response

To reduce water waste, SOM employed two strategies: vegetated bioswales and rainwater reuse.

The bioswales allow for surface runoff to be naturally filtered before re-entering the waste water system. For the rainwater, a roof was designed that would catch all rainwater which could then be used for utilities. As with most of the buildings on UCLA’s campus, the Geffen school of Medicine is powered by a cogeneration plant referred to as the Energy Systems Facility, which provides approximately 85% of the energy for the entire campus. For the most part, this plant relies on the burning of Natural gas, provided by the Southern California Gas Company. Methane taken from the local landfill that is then also burned at the Energy Systems Faility is the only major alternative energy source used. For labs and kitchens, natural gas is directly piped in.

To reduce the overall energy requirement of the building, several strategies were used. To start, a large amount of bicycle parking was provided to reduce the use of vehicles. Also, displacement ventilation was used to reduce the need to mechanically cool the building. Proper shading employed where necessary on any large glass faces along with highly reflective roofing materials both contributed to reduce the need to cool the building.

ENERGY

Response