LA Metro Transportation Authority Light Rail Operations & Maintenance Facility
Santa Monica, Calif.       
Award of Merit

Owner: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Lead Design Firm: RNL Design
General Contractor: Kiewit Building Group Inc.
Civil Engineer: W2 Design Inc.
Structural Engineer: Nabih Youssef & Associates
MEP Engineer: Glumac

Set on a narrow, 9.7-acre site, the $116-million facility was designed to attain LEED Gold status while optimizing efficiency and functionality of rail maintenance and operations. The 70,000-sq-ft complex contains administration offices, six storage tracks and a maintenance and repair shop. It also features a train-wash building, car-cleaning platform and a traction power substation. The judges remarked on the time and investment spent on the facility, saying, “The design was trying to incorporate light and comfort into maintenance people’s lives.”

The design also showcases the facility’s industrial nature by exposing the structural steel system to the public. The design team created a “buffer park” with one large sound wall in conjunction with 12-ft, 6-in. precast concrete site walls on either side of the main building.

Related Article: Communities Are the Real Winners