Green building takes off

Burbank, Calif., is home to the world's first “green” airplane hangar. According to Shangri-La Construction, the recently completed Hangar 25 at the Bob Hope Airport received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Platinum (LEED-Platinum) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. No other airplane hangar in the world is LEED certified at any level, according to a spokeswoman for the company.

The hangar was developed with Avjet Corporation, a global aviation company, which is the operating partner on the project.  The hangar is expected to help the company reduce costs associated with ground operations and give it a leg up in a very competitive sector, says Avjet CEO Marc Foulkrod.

"Given the volatility of fuel prices, the aviation industry must develop and implement practical solutions,” Foulkrod says. “Hangar 25 tackles the major cost and carbon challenges related to the aviation industry’s ground operations, from reducing jet fuel to diminishing operational electricity usage. This improves efficiency and addresses the environmental demands of our customers."

The $17 million project includes many sustainable elements that will directly result in a reduction of aircraft emissions. The roof is designed with a solar array that generates 110 percent of the building's power needs. This would allow planes in the bay for maintenance to shut off their engines and run on electricity. Additionally, tow and other vehicles associated with maintenance operations will run on electricity as well.

On the same day that the hangar certification was announced, Shangri-La's parent corporation, Shangri-La Industries, announced the formation of a $100 million green building fund in partnership with Thompson National Properties, a real estate developer. The TNP/SLI Green Building Fund is slated to invest in value-added commercial and industrial assets that can be retrofitted, repositioned or redeveloped as energy efficient and environmentally sustainable.