The renovation of a 94-year-old building at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles has received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its environmentally friendly modernization.
The university says the adoptive reuse of the USC School of Dramatic Arts building, formerly the United University Church, enables the university's dramatic arts programs to be consolidated into one building, with new performance, teaching and student spaces.
The university has renamed the facility the Dick Wolf Drama Center in honor of the prolific television producer and his contributions to the school.
Buiildings that receive LEED Platinum certification must meet standards in nine categories and demonstrate exceptional energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and minimal water usage as well as a commitment to improving the health and well-being of occupants.
The four-year effort to rehabilitate the building included converting an existing chapel to a theater space and a lower-level meeting area into a performance space.
To preserve the structure’s original character, the vaulted ceilings, arches, columns, capitals, stained glass windows and decorative light fixtures were retained along with the historic organ pipes in the chapel. Modern electrical and plumbing systems were added, and the structure underwent seismic reinforcement.
The renovated structure benefits from natural ventilation through operable windows complemented by a new, highly efficient all-electric heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
New roof tiles that are similar to the historic tiles were selected for their ability to reflect solar heat, and existing windows were reused and upgraded with thermal film glazing.
Mick Dalrymple, USC’s chief sustainability officer, says the renovated facility "preserves our history, incorporates cutting-edge technologies for the arts, achieves high sustainability standards and serves as a garden to cultivate the artists who strengthen our humanity.”
The architect is Perkins Eastman | Pfeifer.
