On December 10th at the 21st Annual California Green Building Awards & Green Gala, the USGBC California (USGBC-CA) community will honor movers and shakers from across the state’s green building industry during the 15th Annual California Green Building Awards and Community Awards. Intuit Dome in Inglewood, designed by AECOM, has been selected as Project of the Year, as the first professional sports venue to achieve LEED Platinum. As a fully electrified and net zero carbon venue that also embraced community impact, the Intuit Dome moved the needle significantly for sports and entertainment complexes.
 
 Thirteen additional exceptional individual projects are being awarded across transit, tech, commercial space, cultural and educational institutions, housing, and a conservation community. USGBC-CA is also proud to recognize Community Leaders, people or organizations that reflect the spirit of community, including Arup, Prologis, SPUR, and several exceptional individuals (full list below).
 
“This has been a challenging year for those in our industry, and it is more important now than ever that we shine a bright light on those paving the way to advance sustainability and green buildings not just for California, but for communities beyond our borders,” states USGBC-CA Executive Director Ben Stapleton. “Our California Green Building Awards showcase the work of some of the best teams to be found anywhere designing, building, and operating the buildings we need for a more sustainable and resilient future for all.”
 
 The California Green Building Awards affirm a project team’s commitment and leadership in creating a sustainable built environment for all. The awards are merit-based, for built and designed (unbuilt) projects, that go above and beyond in demonstrating innovation, sustainable strategies, and exemplary performance in the fields of sustainability, occupant health and community engagement. These awards are open to California projects, and while a certification (or pending) under any sustainability rating system is preferred, it is not required.
 
CA GREEN BUILDING AWARDS (project teams at the end):
 
Project of the Year

• Intuit Dome (Inglewood) - complete information below  

Energy
Honor - Intuit Dome (Inglewood)
Merit - Chabot College Library & Learning Connection (Hayward)
Merit - University of Southern California Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall (Los Angeles)
 
Carbon
Honor - Prologis Nexus (San Leandro)
Merit - 300 Kansas (San Francisco)
 
Equity
Honor - LTSC Santa Monica & Vermont Apartments (Los Angeles)
Merit - Chabot College Library and Learning Connection (Hayward)
 
Water  
Honor - Salesforce Tower (San Francisco)
Merit - LAX/Metro Transit Center (Los Angeles)
Merit - SBVC Alliance for Water Stewardship Core Certification (San Bernardino)
 
Innovation  
Honor - Central Plant AI Optimization (Carson)
Merit - Advancing Water Efficiency in Affordable Housing (Eagle Rock)
 
Nature-based
Honor - Lagoon Valley (Vacaville)
 
Health
Honor - Villa Esperanza Education Campus (Pasadena)
 

The annual Project of the Year embodies not only premier green building practices but also addresses community, reflecting the complete spirit of the CA Green Building Awards. Intuit Dome, home to the LA Clippers basketball team, represents all these ideals, including support of and integration with their surrounding community of Inglewood. Designed to be the most sustainable arena in the world, it was the first professional sports arena to achieve LEED v4/4.1 NC Platinum Certification. Energy efficiency was a primary driver, influencing every aspect of the building’s form, skin, and spatial configuration. The building is fully electrified, eliminating natural gas from heating, hot water and all concessions, and providing the foundation for the team to meet its net zero goals. Overall, the project created a world-class venue that sets new standards in fan engagement, sustainability, and transformative design.
 
 Highlights include:

• Its PTFE and ETFE membrane panels modulate wind, sun, and rain, while 100% outdoor air in the arena bowl reduces energy use and improves thermal comfort.
• A 2.4 MW photovoltaic array, comprising nearly 5,500 solar panels, together with a 11.5 MWh battery energy storage support blackout resilience and peak load shedding whilst reducing carbon emissions. (Fun note, the panels create a basketball hoop visual from above.)
• Materials were selected with embodied carbon reduction in mind, including low-carbon concrete and high-recycled-content steel which cut embodied emissions by 10%.
• Water innovation reduces potable water use by 95% through reclaimed water systems and ultra-low flow fixtures.
• The Clippers worked with the city on a $100 million benefits package, supporting schools, housing, infrastructure, and job opportunities. The new arena is designed to have a positive local impact, featuring a public plaza with a basketball court and an art program showcasing local talent.

 
From the start, our vision was clear: put sustainability at the heart of the story, not on the sidelines. Intuit Dome embodies the power of collaboration and innovation, where early integrated design decisions—like the ‘shrink wrap’ thermal envelope paired with the visually dynamic grid shell—reduce energy use while enhancing thermal comfort and fan experience. This design reflects a deep commitment to net zero and sets a precedent for arenas where sustainability shapes every moment." said Victoria Watson, Principal, High Performance Buildings - AECOM. "We are proud to have partnered with the LA Clippers on this bold journey, creating a venue that sets a new benchmark for performance, resilience, and community impact."
 
   

Community Awards

USGBC-CA also honors the ongoing importance of its community by recognizing that spirit in ten people or groups this year. These awards were selected by the USGBC-CA leadership:
 
Emerging Leader Award:  Nataly Morales, OC RLAB, OCPA, Energy Programs Analyst, Orange County Power Authority
Recognizing an individual who is still early in their career, but is demonstrating industry leadership in pushing us all forward to a more sustainable built environment.
 
Kevin Devine Award (2 recipients): 
Guillermo Avila, Chief Engineer, 2 California Plaza, Able Engineering 
Thermond Adams, Senior Engineer, Finastra
This award honors the life and work of Kevin Devine, commemorating a leading green building operations and maintenance, or facilities professional who demonstrates the highest values that Kevin represented: true leadership and setting an example for others.
 
Corporate Sustainability Award:  Prologis
Recognizes a company creating lasting change through ambitious goals, policy, and action towards a more sustainable future.
 
Community Impact Award:  SPUR
Recognizes outstanding leadership paving the way toward a more sustainable future.
 
Partner of the Year Award:  Arup
Recognizes outstanding organizational leadership and commitment to accelerating the transformation of California into a more sustainable region for all.
 
Heart of the Chapter Award:  Izumi Tanaka, Green Realtor® | Sustainability Advocate | Podcaster | Green Home Consultant
Honors a USGBC-CA member who has gone above and beyond in their dedication to creating a more sustainable future for us all and inspires us to keep doing this work.
 
Volunteer of the Year Award:  Ignacio Valdivia, Sustainability Manager, Holliday Rock Company, Inc.
Honors a USGBC-CA member who consistently and actively contributes to and supports USGBC-CA and its community, and inspires others to do the same.
 
All the Awards will be presented during the Green Gala, in front of a guest list of over 500 top industry professionals including real estate owners and developers, local government representatives, architects, engineers, contractors, agencies, sustainability professionals and other supporters. With the built environment touching energy, water, waste, health, and so much more, USGBC-CA convenes and collaborates across a broad spectrum of community, corporate, and government partners.
   
The CA Green Building Awards & Green Gala are supported through the donations of many corporate partners:  Athens Services, CalPortland, GreenWealth Energy, Hathaway Dinwiddie, Inland Regional Energy Network (IREN), Leading Edge, Metropolitan Water District, San Bernardino Community College District, and SIG Earth.
 
Significant Annual Support for USGBC-CA comes from these: Platinum sponsors - AZEK, CIM Group, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, USGBC, Measurabl; Gold sponsors - BNBuilders, Clean Power Alliance, DPR Construction, Equity Residential, Google, Southern California Edison; Silver sponsors – AEG, Arup, Beneficial State Bank, BNBuilders, BranchPattern, BRE Inc., CALSTART, Carpet Recovery, Disneyland Resort, Epic Cleantec, GAIA, HDR, Hathaway Dinwiddie, Howard Building Corporation, Hudson Pacific Properties, IES Ltd., Kilroy Realty Corp., LivCor, OneClick LCA, Turner Construction, Verdani Partners, Verdical Group, Willdan; Bronze sponsors - AEG, All About Waste, Argento / Graham, Assa Abloy, BEHR, Citadel EHS, Cumming Group, Epic Metals Inc., Epson America Inc., Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), IQHQ, International WELL Building Institute, Momentum, NBCUniversal, Perkins&Will, Stok, Suffolk Construction, Sunbelt, Tishman Speyer, and Webcor.