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Straw Building Earns LEED Gold

The City of Santa Clarita Transit Maintenance Facility serves the city’s Compressed Natural Gas bus fleet.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 1/5/2007 12:00:00 AM

Is straw the sustainable material of the future? In Santa Clarita, California, the new LEED Gold-certified City of Santa Clarita Transit Maintenance Facility is one of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) first LEED-certified straw-bale buildings in the world. Designed by architecture firm Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, the sustainable building serves the city’s new Compressed Natural Gas bus fleet, which recently made the switch from diesel in an effort to improve air quality.

The straw bales used for the facility are a far cry from those common 100 years ago—a lime plaster layer covers both the interior and exterior. More common in residential one-and two story developments, straw-bale construction is recognized for its durability, resistance to burning and pest infestation, and cost-effectiveness. Another perk? Thanks to insulating qualities, the bails fend off hot and cold temperature swings, common in Santa Clarita's desert climate.

Operational since May 2006, the $20-million project includes a 22,000-square-foot administration building, 25,000-square-foot maintenance building, bus wash facility, CNG fueling island for city buses, and publicly accessible CNG fueling station.

“When combined with more recent technologies such as under-floor air distribution, high-performance glazing, and daylighting—as it is in this project—[Straw-bale construction] can be part of a powerful strategy for creating an energy and resource-efficient building,” says HOK’s Charles Smith, Senior Project Manager.

In addition to achieving LEED Gold, the facility exceeds California Energy Efficiency Standards by over 40 percent.