Results tagged “buildings”

Yesterday, the City Council voted unanimously in favor of a proposed ordinance that would mandate all new buildings (residential and business) have a graffiti-resistant coating applied to the exterior, reports the Daily News.

They tend to be our least favorite people, since we write hefty checks to them every month for our rent, but landlords aren't doing so well these days. Vacancies in commercial buildings are up and rising, say recent reports, and this year looks to be a tough one for landlords looking to lease.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Los Angeles is the US city with "the most Energy Star-certified buildings," according to the Daily News. We have 262 Engery Star buildings, which means they "use one-third less electricity than traditional buildings." The count is current as of the end of '08, and occupants of the buildings "saved $87.2 million over the course of the year and conserved enough energy to power 35,800 households." The list includes buildings all over the city, with many located on major thoroughfares like Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards. Is your building green, or a potential Energy Star? Use the tools offered by the EPA to find out what it takes.

Ever since 9/11, taking a photo of certain downtown buildings was verboten. Well, that's according to said building's security guards. So last Sunday, a group of photographers went out to take photos of downtown buildings from public sidewalks to protest their rights. Six security guards quickly responded. Drama ensues. Oooohhhh. Aaaahhhh.

Shopping "experiences" like those Rick Caruso has developed in Los Angeles certainly give locals a lot to grouse about, but aside from the perils of modern living (see: Muffin tops, American Girl, and Uggs), these outdoor hyper-designed environments aren't anything new. Of course we can go back hundreds and hundreds of years and note that shopping outdoors in a village-esque atmosphere was a way of life--mainly because you lived in that village--but we can also go back to the 1930s to look at was once a glorious architectural and entrepreneurial vision that was much celebrated right here in LA.