Building company awarded for innovative parking garage design

on Monday,July 12,2010 15:07

Although most U.S. drivers may not notice, many American parking garages are an inefficient use of space, and do not optimize the time it takes to park. However, the annual International Parking Institute Awards of Excellence rewards innovative and creative designers whose facilities maximize the use of space and create an efficient flow of traffic.

This year's first place award went to McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., for their design of West Los Angeles College's Lot 8 parking facility.

"Parking is the critical component on college campuses that allows students to reach their classrooms on time and teachers and professors to have easy access to the campus, yet it can serve multiple purposes," said Alan Carroll, executive vice president of McCarthy’s parking division.

The 302,689-square-foot facility is four stories tall and boasts 998 parking spaces and 128 surface lot spots. The exterior facade has a decorative concrete wall with colored cement tiles and stainless steel perforated panel fins. The framed elevator shaft features a glass curtain wall.

The designers of the lot were influenced by existing campus structures to create a unique addition to the school's facilities that complements the other buildings.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of this design is the photovoltaic roof panels that provide electricity to the campus.

Innovative parking garage design can lead to more efficient use of time and space, reduced costs and maximized safety.