GBI’s ACCESS Program
GBI envisions a world where sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings are available for all. That’s why we’re committed to making Green Globes® certification accessible to any building owner or project team dedicated to improving the design and/or operations of their building. Green Globes can be used as a guide to create resource efficient and healthy buildings and as a certification system to recognize exceptional projects and promote community engagement. Everyone deserves to occupy sustainable and healthy buildings to live, work, and recreate.
Through GBI’s Activate Community Collaboration to Elevate Sustainable Solutions (ACCESS) Program, complimentary Green Globes certification and the support of a Green Globes Professional (GGP) are awarded annually to projects that are creating positive impacts for their local community.
The annual call for nominations closed on January 12, 2024.
Past Recipients
The Beehive
by SoLa Impact
ABOUT THE BEEHIVE
SoLa Impact is an affordable housing and real estate investment company serving Black and brown communities in Los Angeles. SoLa’s headquarters, known as The Beehive, is 92,000 square feet of commercial space comprised of six unique and architecturally beautiful red brick warehouses. It is situated within the very communities that SoLa invests in, conveniently located ten minutes south of downtown LA. This project has been a catalyst for the transformation of the local neighborhood and economy. Among its tenants are women- and minority-owned businesses, including the Tree Yoga Cooperative, South LA Brewing, and the SoLa Impact’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate, the SoLa I CAN Foundation
As featured in the LA Times, the Beehive has emerged as the epicenter of entrepreneurship and culture for the Black community in Los Angeles. Community organizations launch their events at The Beehive, and it serves as a gathering place for celebrations, non-profit events, fundraisers, and more. Among its current tenants are California’s first Black-owned craft brewery, a Black-owned art gallery designed for emerging creatives, and a cutting-edge Technology and Entrepreneurship Center dedicated to nurturing future tech and entertainment leaders from South Los Angeles.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES OF THE BEEHIVE
As an adaptive reuse project, The Beehive is inherently sustainable, making use of an existing building and aiding in urban infill. The campus has a walk score of 76 and ready access to mass transit. Bio-based construction materials were used including SFI-certified lumber. The project is also energy and water efficient with an Energy Star Target Finder energy score of 90 and a water score of 86. Light fixtures are LED and controlled by occupancy and daylighting sensors. The focus on maximized daylighting not only reduces energy use but aids in occupant health and wellness. Low flow and low flush plumbing fixtures are used throughout campus reducing water usage. Stormwater is used for irrigation and retained on-site in swales. Visitors to the campus will notice a biophilic quality to the site with community gardens and drought-tolerant plants used in landscaping. The campus’s impressive sustainability features resulted in a Two Green Globes certification demonstrating a significant achievement in resource efficiency, reducing environmental impacts, and improving occupant wellness.