A new runway model

BURBANK — Bob Hope Airport got a little “greener” with the unveiling of what is being called the highest-rated sustainable aviation facility in the world.

A large crowd, including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, was invited to Bob Hope Airport for the inauguration Tuesday morning of Hangar 25.

“While I may be outside of L.A.’s borders today, today I come as an environmental advocate,” Villaraigosa said. “We know that a clean, healthy environment should know no boundaries. And no community is too isolated from impacts of environmental pollution.”

The aviation facility is the first building of its kind to receive LEED-Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest award offered by the organization.

“There has really been no airport facility that’s done what this [facility] has done,” said S. Richard Fedrizzi, president of the council. “Look around this building and look at what’s been done.”

From the “diamond-polished” concrete flooring to low-flush urinals, the entire 60,000-square-foot building is powered by 1,530 solar panels that line the roof. Maintenance and aircraft vehicles can be powered by rooftop solar panels. Hanging from beams are large fans.

“Everything about this facility helped to enhance the day-to-day operations of the aircraft,” said Andy Meyers, president of Shangri-La Construction.

At a price tag of $17 million, Shangri-La officials said, Hangar 25 was constructed at the same cost of typical aviation facilities and will deliver continual savings. The project is a partnership between Shangri-La Construction, the Burbank-Glendale- Pasadena Airport Authority and Avjet Corp.

“Today, Shangri-La has demonstrated that you can build facilities that cut energy use, help reduce pollution and lower operating costs all at the same time,” said John Picard, who served as senior advisor on Hangar 25. “The bottom line of green construction here is black.”

In addition to being built with sustainable materials, the hangar encourages employees to cut energy use in other ways.

“Every single job that was created during the construction process of this building is a green-collar job,” Meyers said.

Near a synthetic lawn that requires no water are bicycle racks for employees. The racks, as well as shower facilities, were built with the intention of swaying employees to bike to work.

City officials and developers hope Hangar 25 will serve as a model for other aviation facilities, lowering the industry’s large carbon footprint.

Shangri-La is planning to build a similar hangar at Van Nuys Airport. The company is also raising a $100-million green-building fund to purchase and retrofit buildings across the country.

Fedrizzi said he hopes the ideas used to build Hangar 25 will be transferred to other buildings, such as schools. Meyers seconded that notion.