UCLA Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center Offers Next-Generation Technology, Commitment to Sustainability
Los Angeles, California, March 2016 … With the globalization of the meetings industry, conferences and events have gained new power to forge the future and effect meaningful, positive change. Technical sophistication, a growing awareness of environmental issues and the need for a global approach to problem solving, have significantly raised the level of expectations and performance in every segment of the conference industry. Increasingly, sustainable programs that protect the environment, reduce carbon footprints, and conserve resources, play a key role in producing productive meetings that inspire participants and enable change.
“The environmental movement is, and must be, a global one, and today’s meeting planners demand the most advanced technical services that can reach a broad spectrum of countries and audiences, via a range of mobile devices,” notes Les Utley, general manager of the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center. “With conference participants now increasingly composed of millennials, who require both technological innovation and a ‘green’ meeting experience, UCLA saw the need for a conference center that incorporated not only the most advanced technology, but design, construction and sustainable practices that would exceed the sophisticated demands of today’s conference planners and meeting attendees.”
Today’s meeting planners are basing their choice of a conference venue on sustainability, cost-effectiveness and next-generation technology. Consequently, every aspect of the new Luskin Conference Center, opening in August 2016, is designed to create an inspirational learning environment in a thoughtfully designed space that fosters excellence, engagement, inspiration and breakthroughs. The building is designed to leave a minimal impact on the environment by optimizing the use of material resources and achieving Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification. The Luskin Conference Center will be one of 25+ LEED-certified buildings on UCLA’s campus, and will draw on UCLA’s storied technological resources to produce an exceptional – and sustainable – meeting experience.
The university maintains its own sustainability program that will enhance the meeting experience. Guests will have access to UCLA’s Transportation Demand System that has reduced the campus drive-alone rate by more than 20%. This enviable system includes campus shuttles, a bike sharing program, and the Flyaway Shuttle service from Los Angeles International Airport using a 100% clean fuel CNG powered van. Conference center guests have access to two zip cars that can be used on campus and to explore the many attractions of the Los Angeles area, negating the need to rent vehicles. The entire campus is tobacco-free and the university implemented several innovative programs to cut waste, recycle, conserve water, ensure clean air in all buildings, which are in effect at the conference center.
The Luskin Conference Center offers 254 spacious guest rooms, and 25,000 square feet of meticulously planned and highly versatile meeting space. Every aspect of the facility, from the most advanced communications technology and resource conservation, to locally-sourced food in the restaurant, PLATEIA, is planned with conservation and sustainability in mind. Among the many innovations designed to maximize resources are:
- Water-efficient landscape irrigation and plumbing fixtures yield 30% savings over baseline code requirements.
- Energy uses targeted to achieve a 20% reduction over baseline code energy requirements incorporating elements such as high-efficiency mechanical systems, lighting controls, and LED lighting.
- All materials used in the interior of the building are low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC).
- Ten percent of the new building materials are comprised of recycled materials and 10% are procured from within 500 miles.
- Fifty percent of the wood used on the project is FSC certified from sustainably managed forests.
- The construction team is diverting approximately 90% of construction waste from landfill through the use of advanced recycling techniques.
Additionally, the conference center project is self-sustaining and does not utilize state funds or monies from student tuition.
The Luskin Conference Center will be one of over 25 LEED-certified buildings on the campus of UCLA, which has set an ambitious campus-wide goal to be carbon neutral by 2025. The Conference Center’s goal is LEED Gold, which assures meeting planners and attendees that the center meets and exceeds the most stringent environmental, safety and technical requirements. As a global program, LEED maintains consistently high standards that are uniform from Los Angeles to Mumbai. LEED projects are responsible for diverting over 80 million tons of waste from landfills. Compared to the average commercial building, LEED Gold buildings consume a quarter less energy and generate 34% lower greenhouse gas emissions.
LEED certification provides independent verification of a building’s sustainable features, including design, construction, operations and maintenance. It guarantees that guests will convene in a resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective venue. Says Les Utley, “It’s the triple bottom line in action, benefiting people, the planet and productive learning.”
