LOS ANGELES -- The National Audubon Society has certified the Audubon Center at Debs Park as the nation's most environmentally friendly building.

The Audubon Center received a Platinum Rating -- the highest possible -- from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Audubon Center at Debs Park is the first building in the nation to receive the Platinum Rating under the Council's new LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System 2.1. The achievement catapults Audubon to the head of the pack of Southern California buildings seeking LEED ratings, as well as ahead of other buildings that were certified, as Platinum under LEED's earlier, 1.0 pilot version.

The building was designed by EHDD Architects and built by TG Construction. Soltierra LLC handled the LEED documentation and submission. Bovis Lend Lease acted as owner's representative. Campbell and Campbell created the architectural concept and landscape architecture designs, and more than 20 other firms provided design and construction services.

The design of the Audubon Center at Debs Park focuses on a number of key environmental issues that are at the heart of sustainable building, including renewable energy sources, water conservation, recycled building materials and native landscaping.

The 5,000 sq.-ft. building is the first in Los Angeles to be entirely powered by on-site solar systems -- functioning entirely "off the grid." The building also uses significantly less water than a conventional building of its size.

"Audubon has been a leader in conservation for nearly a century," said Jerry Secundy, executive director of Audubon California. "The Audubon Center at Debs Park continues that legacy. As our nation's cities and population grow, the environmental and economic advantages of sustainably designed buildings will become increasingly important. The role of the Audubon Center as a model of green architecture will only grow more significant in years to come."

In order to meet the requirements for the Platinum Rating, a building must earn a minimum of 52 sustainability points out of an available 69. Points are awarded for everything from site selection and materials used, to innovative design and indoor environmental quality. The Audubon Center at Debs Park earned 53 LEED points, garnering particularly high marks for its efficient water system and renewable energy sources.

While energy and water conservation are major green features of the building, Audubon's commit extends way beyond those requirements. Virtually every aspect of the Audubon Center at Debs Park -- from the floor to the rooftop -- was crafted to adhere to the stringent LEED 2.1 requirements. Recycled materials were used wherever possible, included melted down handguns and scrap metal in rebar. The use of organic materials was also key -- demonstrated in everything from the carpeting of Mexican agave plant, to wheat board and sunflower board cabinets and desks.

The LEED program also stresses the importance of using locally harvested and manufactured materials, including wood, landscape plantings, sheet metal, concrete and paving materials. More than 25 percent of the building materials used in the Audubon Center were locally harvested. More than 50 percent of the materials were locally manufactured. In both cases an amount 2.5 times that required to achieve LEED credits.

Located just northeast of downtown Los Angeles, Ernest E. Debs Regional Park is 282 acres of urban wilderness. Debs Park hosts coyotes and 138 species of birds, yet is surrounded by some of the city's densest urban neighborhoods.