A $29 million green parking garage
Think cars can't be clean? Check out the solar-powered car park designed by a Santa Monica architecture firm.
(Fortune Small Business) -- Moore Ruble Yudell Architects, a 65-employee firm in Santa Monica, has been designing sustainable buildings for more than two decades. The company markets its green expertise to secure high-profile projects around the world, including the new U.S. embassy in Berlin and a planned consulate in Taipei.
A more local project is an environmentally friendly parking structure for the Santa Monica Civic Center. To build the LEED-certified car park, the designers used recycled steel and concrete from a bonding mixture that required less energy than cement. Reflective glass panels decorate the structure, maximizing natural light and reducing electricity consumption. Rooftop photovoltaic panels harness solar energy to generate one-third of the garage's electricity. And its water-recycling system channels nonsewage water to the sprinklers.
Those features weren't cheap: The $29 million pricetag for the car park is about $10 million more than those for comparable garages. Santa Monica estimates that its parking structure will be profitable within 15 years, generating revenue from 900 parking spaces and 9,000 square feet of retail space. 
-
The Cheesecake Factory created smaller portions to survive the downturn. Play -
A breeder of award-winning marijuana seeds is following the money and heading to the U.S. More -
Most small businesses die within five years, but Amish businesses have a survival rate north of 90%. More -
The 10 most popular franchise brands over the past decade -- and their failure rates. More -
These firms are the last left in America making iconic products now in their twilight. More
My dream is to launch my own business someday. Now that it's time to choose a major, I'm debating if I should major in entrepreneurial studies or major in engineering to acquire a set of skills first. Is majoring in entrepreneurship a good choice? More
Here are some hot tips if you're going out car-shopping this weekend. More
These folks definitely do not need a bigger boat. Peek inside some of the swankiest vessels on the high seas. More
Home is wherever you want it to be. This 150-square-foot home can be shipped almost anywhere and then assembled like Ikea furniture in about four days. More
More Small Business
