California’s First Sustainable Utility Campus Completes First Phase

BURBANK, Calif. — Burbank Water and Power and AHBE Landscape Architects have completed the first phase of the state’s first sustainable utility campus.

Leaders of the water and electricity company saw an opportunity to go green when they replaced the power plant and substations on their campus in 2005.

The utility hired Los Angeles-based landscape architecture firm AHBE Landscape Architects to create a master plan for what it described as an “EcoCampus” — a transformation of its grounds from an aging industrial site into a regenerative green space.

The result is a landscape that serves a dual aesthetic and functional purpose, officials say. It provides a green space for employees and the public, and it hides the underground equipment that allows the campus to serve as a water filtration system.

“Never before have so many different sustainable landscape technologies been integrated into a single industrial campus,” said Ron Davis, general manager at Burbank Water and Power. “BWP chose to do this to show that sustainability is not just about a single action or decision. It’s about the ripple effect that consistent, sustainable decisions can make.”

To celebrate the first phase of the project, the companies held a community fair and dedication ceremony Jan. 30. When completed, the campus will include three facilities built to LEED Platinum certification.

A repurposed electric substation is among the campus’ most striking features. Under AHBE’s design, its structure was left intact and turned into an outdoor meeting room or trellis.

The skeletal remains of the substation will be covered in vines to create what design company officials described as “a poignant juxtaposition of industry and environment.”

The electrical equipment building will be completed in March 2013.

Finally, the campus’ main administration building was restored to its original Art Deco splendor, while its systems and structure were upgraded to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.

An architectural solar array is designed to pay homage to both the Art Deco heritage of the main administration building and will power the LEED Platinum service center and warehouse building as it channels rainwater to a filtration system.

That system consists of five different water filtration technologies — infiltration, flow-through, detention, tree root cells and rainwater capture — that mitigate up to an inch of rainfall, one-fourth of an inch more than California law requires.

“Ultimately, the master plan would see the campus become a zero runoff site, far exceeding what state law requires,” Burbank Water and Power said in a statement.

The EcoCampus also includes three rooftop gardens that reduce the area’s heat island effect, help channel and filter stormwater, and cut back on air-conditioning needs.

All these features make the campus a pilot project in the Sustainable Sites Initiative, which aims to create a rating system to evaluate landscape efficiency.

“Landscape has a key role to play in the regeneration of our cities,” said Calvin Abe, president of the design firm. “Beyond the aesthetics, it can proactively counteract many of the problems that we face in urban environments.”