Award Recipients M-O
Pioneer Award, 2008
M3house is an innovative developer of sustainable and affordable housing. They receive the Pioneer Award for their cutting edge prototype model called M3house which is a sustainable, affordable, factory built home made from recycled, reclaimed and reused materials. The M3house mission is to introduce a zero-energy home by designing to take advantage of natural resources such as solar, thermo mass and cross ventilation.
Maguire Thomas Partners (MGM Plaza)
Honorable Mention, 1996
[No additional information at this time]
Excellence Award in Stewardship of the Natural and Built Environment, 2003
Since 1989 Mäni’s Bakery has been satisfying discriminating palates and sweet-tooths with cakes, cookies, pastries and breads, baked from high quality, natural, less-refined ingredients. Then in the mid 1990s, following the same philosophy Mäni’s began its restaurant as well.
It’s the quality of the food and wholesome goodness of the ingredients that makes Mäni’s a destination for Angelenos: organic flour in all of our baking, a choice of sweeteners, including fruit juice reduction, granulated maple syrup, organic cane sugar, agave syrup and more. All of these ingredients let Mäni’s serve up an array of tempting baked goods that are not overly processed. They bring out the product’s true taste like our real chocolate sweetened with barley malt. The results are delicious, healthier versions of traditional foods for the health conscious connoisseur.
Excellence in Economic Development, 2011
MINARC is a Santa Monica-based design studio that specializes in modern, innovative and sustainable architecture. The company has three primary products and services:
1) mnmMOD: (AKA M3house) is a mass-customizable modular manufacturing system that delivers sustainable and affordable efficient design for the net-zero energy building market.
2) MINARC Architecture: Founded by Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdottir, Assoc. AIA, and Tryggvi Thorsteinsson, Assoc. AIA, MINARC’s projects range from new construction to renovations; residential and commercial. MINARC, a play on "minimalism in architecture", focuses on emphasizing the relationship between architecture and nature and minimizing impact and waste through creative use of innovative materials.
3) MINARC also expands into the living environment with the creation of RUBBISH -a household sink made entirely from recycled rubber tires. MINARC practices sustainable architecture by letting the natural environment guide all aspects of a design and embrace the power of wind, sun and water. Their innovative use of materials such as cement panels, pebble stones and recycled tires gives new life to materials and manufacturers while minimizing impact on the environment.
Honorable Mention for Stewardship of the Environment
MTV Networks is recognized for their efforts in greening all their
facilities and operations including
comprehensive recycling programs, integrating post-consumer content
recycled office products and
innovative measures such as carbon neutral carpet cleaning.
Excellence Award, 2000; SQA Grand Prize, 2008
Morley Builders is one of the largest construction and engineering firms in Southern California. They built many LA landmarks, including The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and the Santa Monica Main Library. Morley Builders constructs many LEED buildings, and recycles up to 92% of the construction and demolition waste they generate. They run a green office, including a paperless accounting and payroll system and an eco-friendly procurement policy. Employees can work flexible hours to avoid travelling during peak hours. Full-time staff receive a comprehensive medical benefits package, stock bonus plan and 401K program. Morley Builders is also a pillar of the Santa Monica community, giving thousands of dollars each year to local charitable organizations, and paying for employees to do volunteer work.
Award for Excellence in Stewardship of the Natural Environment, 2004
Sustainable Quality Award, 2004
New Directions, a local non-profit that has provided residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation and job training for homeless veterans in LA County since 1992. Its environmental actions include extensive recycling, environmentally sound purchasing policies, and the creation of a vegetable garden in cooperation with a fifth grade class that supplies produce for its culinary arts program. New Directions’ economic development and social responsibility actions include the use of local volunteers and interns, extensive health care packages, and the New Directions Choir, which is made up of volunteer alumni and promotes the recovery message by singing at local churches and community events.
Natural Resources Defense Council
SQA Grand Prize, 2010
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. NRDC's Santa Monica office building received a Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program. The building has sophisticated water recycling system that captures gray water from showers, sinks, and rainwater that is run through a disinfection and filtration system. The treated water is then re-used for irrigation and flushing toilets, reducing water consumption by 60%. After staff calculated 30% of their daily waste output consisted of food, an indoor “Nature Mill” unit was purchased to turn food waste into compost, without odors. The Santa Monica office has a built-in Environmental Action Center (EAC) designed to increase awareness of the threats to environment and public health, and to empower individuals to get involved in NRDC’s efforts. In addition, the EAC houses a gift shop that sells materials related to NRDC’s mission. NRDC offers many family-friendly benefits for employees including maternity and paternity policies providing up to 16 weeks unpaid leave, and up to 26 weeks for the care of a covered service member with a serious injury or illness. NRDC solicits employee input for benefits by including one representative from each office on the human resources committee to review all benefits.