Green Facility Gets Green Light - Environ's AES Design Approved

In early 2017, Environ was approached by AES Corporation's Director of Sustainability, Stephen O'Kane to come up with a facade design for its facility in Los Alamitos. The Alamitos Energy Center will replace its existing plant with a modernized facility.

The proposed modernization will include a replacement of their current water-cooled generators with air-cooled gas turbines, and three 300-megawatt battery buildings for which Environ designed the facades. The new plant will provide system stability by delivering reactive power, voltage support and frequency stability. It's a step forward in support of California's green energy goals. 

Cultural Heritage in Long Beach

A city is only as rich as its culture. How do we maintain that richness? Well, there's a Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) in Long Beach that strives to do just that. Today, we sit down for a Q&A with CHC Chair and Environ Architecture President Alan Burks.

How and when did you first get involved with the CHC?

In the mid 1970s I participated in the first survey of significant structures in Chicago for the Illinois Landmarks Preservation Council. Since then I was always interested in preserving and reusing the historic buildings that create places. In 1980 I co-founded Environ, Inc. Some of our early projects in Chicago repurposed warehouse and factory buildings into grocery stores, spas, housing, and offices. We also designed renovations at several National Register sites, such as the Chicago Academy of Sciences and the Field Museum of Natural History.

My interest in historical buildings continued after I established Environ Architecture, Inc. in Long Beach. While serving as President of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, we provided the design for many building improvements in the historic Pico-Union district, as well as the Westlake and Mid-Wilshire districts. We also renovated the Watts-Wilmington Train Depot and created the restoration plan for the Chinatown Gates. Knowing about our work, Amy Bodek asked me if I would be interested in serving on the Cultural Heritage Commission. I agreed, and then-Mayor Bob Foster appointed me in 2012.

"Architecture belongs to culture, not civilization."
Alvaar Alto 1898-1976

What the FORK are you throwing away? How you CAN end hunger by EATING UGLY.

CANstruction is an annual competition in which participants create large structures out of canned food. The purpose of the contest is help end world hunger. Winners are announced and after a brief exhibit of the structures, all the cans are donated to local food banks.

For this year’s CANstruction competition, Environ’s Vice President Willetta McCulloh came up with a concept that promotes a simple message: “EAT UGLY.”

Her inspiration was an article by National Geographic in which the statistics of food waste were astounding:

Nearly 800 million people suffer from hunger.

46% of fruits and vegetables never make it from farm to fork.

According to the largest grower of mandarins in Peru, 30% of his crop won’t be exported because it won’t be the right size, color, or sweetness, or it might have blemishes or scars.

Multi-Service Center: Ready for the Community

The Multi-Service Center in Long Beach opens its new doors to the public. Located mid-city, the 16,000 square foot facility is a social service access center that provides a wide variety of integrated, on-site services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The LBMSC provides accommodations for amenities such as shower and laundry facilities, a mailing center, abuse treatment, HIV/AIDS services, case management and housing coordination.  Twelve non-profit agencies operate from the LBMSC to provide a one-stop-shop for its users. Construction on the redesigned center commenced in early 2014.