WEST HOLLYWOOD—West Hollywood’s Aquatic and Recreation Center (ARC) at West Hollywood Park recently received multiple honors, including recognition from the American Public Works Association and the American Institute of Architects, and the project has been certified LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

The City’s ARC received the American Public Works Association (APWA) Southern California Chapter 2022 Project of the Year Award in the Buildings category. APWA serves professionals in all aspects of public works making it a useful voice of public works throughout the United States.

With a worldwide membership over 30,000 strong, APWA includes not only personnel from local, county, state/province, and federal agencies, but from the private sector personnel who supply products and services to those professionals. APWA is a nonprofit organization that provides varied educational and networking opportunities that help public works personnel grow in their professionalism and improve the quality of life in the communities they serve.

The city of West Hollywood indicated in a news release, the city’s ARC project received two awards from the American Institute of Architects Orange County Chapter: The Honors Award for commercial design; and a C.O.T.E. Award, for resiliency and sustainability in design. Founded in 1857, members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) work to create valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. The AIA supports public policies that promote economic vitality and public well-being. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards

West Hollywood was recently notified that the new West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center was awarded a Gold LEED Certification, surpassing its planned energy and environmental sustainability goals. The LEED rating system was designed by the U.S. Green Building Council, which encourages and facilitates the development of sustainable buildings. A Gold LEED Certification is one of the highest attainable ratings and a a select few of municipal buildings in California have achieved this standard.

LEED is an internationally recognized mark of excellence that provides building owners and operators with a framework of identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. The ARC joins the adjacent West Hollywood Library in sharing a Gold LEED Certification.

The ARC is a new 75,000-square-foot space overlooking the heart of West Hollywood Park, adjacent to West Hollywood Library. It has been envisioned as a gathering space for a range of community gatherings, special events, sports activities, and recreation programs. On four levels with a grand stairway entrance from the park or by elevator access from parking levels off of El Tovar Place, the ARC features two rooftop swimming pools. There is a large-scale multi-sport court that accommodates a variety of indoor sports such as basketball, volleyball, and dodgeball. The ARC also features five community meeting rooms and one conference room in addition to offices for staff from the City’s Recreation Services Division, a Tiny Tot program classroom, and a public access TV studio.

For more details about West Hollywood’s Aquatic and Recreation Center, contact Steve Campbell, Director of Public Works for West Hollywood, at (323) 848-6850 or at scampbell@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, contact TTY (323) 848-6496.