Del Amo Construction Builds PITCH:AFRICA Project for the Annenberg Foundation
Del Amo Construction, Inc. recently completed
the construction of the innovative and sustainable PITCH:AFRICA project prototype, which was supported and funded by the Annenberg Foundation.
PITCH:AFRICA was designed by ATOPIA RESEARCH INC., a non-profit design organization founded by Jane Harrison and David Turnbull. It is intended to address the needs of communities in Africa where water and basic amenities are scarce.
The PITCH:AFRICA project brings together Africa’s resources with their passion of soccer to create a new form of community development.
A semi permeable soccer pitch (field) is built above a reservoir which is constructed using abandoned shipping containers found littered across the African continent. As rain falls through the pitch, the containers capture and store the water, which would have otherwise been lost. The containers can store up to one million liters of water, enough to serve 1,000 people every day for a year. The harvested water goes through to the irrigation system and pumps the water out to the farms, which then produces vegetables and fruits for the local market. A filtration system will provide fresh water to the community for drinking, cooking, bathing, and other basic necessities. Classrooms, health clinics and community meeting rooms will be constructed beneath the bleachers.
Del Amo constructed the PITCH:AFRICA prototype, a 64 by 80 foot soccer pitch with bleachers. Several shipping containers recycled from the Port of Los Angeles were utilized to show how the rain water will be captured and stored. The team took on an accelerated project schedule of 1 month working multiple shifts, day and night as well as weekends to make the deadline.
On Thursday, July 8, 2010, days before the World Cup finals, community leaders, ATOPIA RESEARCH INC., the Annenberg Foundation and over 200 participants witnessed the unveiling of the prototype at the Port of Los Angeles. It was a proud and exciting moment for the Del Amo team. The Annenberg Foundation, ATOPIA RESEARCH INC., and Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program are currently looking at potential locations in South Africa to build the first fully operational version.
One Soccer Pitch = One Million Liters of Water = One School = One Clinic = One Market = One Farm = One Meeting Place
Del Amo Construction broke ground on the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Linde + Robinson Laboratory for Global Environmental Science in March 2009. “Del Amo Construction is proud to be a part of the Linde + Robinson project. The new state-of-the-art facility will cement Caltech’s commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge environmental research. This will be a very successful project for the faculty, trustees, and members of the campus community,” said Mitch Hudson, Project Manager and Vice President of Field Operations.
The project is pursuing the USGBC’s highest rating of LEED Platinum and will be constructed to be a model of resource and material efficiency. The Caltech Linde + Robinson Lab for Global Environmental Science represents a historically significant academic building. The original 38,686 square foot Robinson astrophysics laboratory building was built in 1932 and was one of three buildings constructed at Caltech as part of the design and construction of the Palomar Observatory.
Highlighted sustainable elements for this project include daylighting via the historic coelostat, hydrogen fuel cells for main and backup power, aircuity lab monitoring system, concentrated photo voltaic system for main power, solar thermal heating of domestic water and industrial water, an energy consumption and carbon footprint monitoring system, a lighting and power control system, energy efficient laboratory equipment, 100% rainwater harvesting, a 76% reduction in energy use and zero net electrical consumption off the grid when the photo voltaic and hydrogen fuel cells are on-line.
This approximately $25 million project consists of the preservation and restoration of the historic architectural elements of the building, strengthening the existing shear walls, a new exit stair and elevator to access the lower levels, a new light well to draw light into the lower levels, refurbishment of the existing celeostat and optics to make them operational, a complete build out of new laboratories on the lower levels, build out of the upper levels into professor and student offices, code upgrades including accessibility and life-safety systems, site hardscape and landscape, and commissioning of the building systems. The project is scheduled to complete in Spring 2011.
Once completed, the Linde + Robinson Lab will be among the nation’s most energy-efficient and the first laboratory in an historic building to merit the Platinum designation. The project will provide the Global Environmental Science program a needed identity and achieve significant synergy among disciplines due to its close proximity to planetary science, geology, and other related fields.
To learn more about the project, please visit the Caltech site.
Architect: Architectural Resources Group
Owner: California Institute of Technology
Del Amo Construction is a general contracting company founded in 1968 that offers a full range of preconstruction and construction services. We serve our clients as trusted builders and collaborators, focusing on efficiently executing the work with which we are entrusted. Our goal is to get every detail of your project right.
