Annenberg Beach House Achieves LEED Gold !!!
Inside and out, the Annenberg Community Beach House exemplifies Santa Monica’s commitment to protecting, preserving and restoring the natural environment. The facility was recently awarded a Gold Rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Beach House joins other City projects that have been at the forefront of sustainable construction, including Virginia Avenue Park, the Main Public Library, Colorado Court, the Public Safety Facility, and the Civic Center Parking Structure.  Annenberg Community Beach House Case Study

The Annenberg Community Beach House is the only public beach club in the United States.  The Beach House was built on the site of the former Marion Davies Estate, built in the Gold Coast era of the 1920s by William Randolph Hearst as a playground for actress Marion Davies and her Hollywood guests. The building was severely damaged in the Northridge earthquake of 1994.  With a generous grant from the Annenberg Foundation, the City was able to rehabilitate the site, which involved extensive remediation of underground pollutants, as well as preservation of the historic Guest House.  Adding to the already impressive story, the facility undertook many sustainable measures to reduce the environmental impact of the new building.  The Beach House was awarded LEED Gold Certification in 2009 in recognition of its achievements.

Come visit the Beach House to enjoy the beatiful facility and reminisce about the golden days of Hollywood in the Guest House.  In the meantime, Brenden McEneaney, the City's Green Building Program Advisor, takes us on a tour of the building's sustainable features in this video below: