Getting the LED Out

I just made a site visit to one of my projects currently under construction. The design includes the introduction of illuminated canopy elements spanning above a previously poorly lit and underused courtyard and streetfront entry along Wilshire Boulevard in west Los Angeles. The LED panels were recently installed and powered up along with the new exterior glazing at the ground floor. The polycarbonate panels that will function as lenses for the canopy have yet to be installed -- the individual light sources will be diffused -- but there is something intriguing about seeing the LED matrix revealed. The long life of the LEDs mean that replacement of the fixtures will be minimized over the life of the project and the quality and color of the light should remain uniform. Looking forward to seeing the installation of the new courtyard paving and furnishings.

Inner Space

On September 22, I had the privelege of hosting a program in downtown LA on private/public private partnerships for open space in a city that is home to over 6500 lineal miles of road and 900 miles of alleys but in which over 2/3 of children are not within walking distance of a park. Panelists included Richard Loring who discussed his innovative Formosa 1140 project which includes a neighborhood pocket park, Alfred Fraijo, a land use attorney with Allen Matkins discussing plans for the Hollywood Freeway Central (Cap) Park, and Sarah MacPherson with the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance discussing the greening of alleyways in Hollywood. One of the highlights of the event included display of presentation boards and a concept model of the Park 101 Freeway Cap Park provided by EDAW.