Helios House Gas Station, Los Angeles, California, USA

Helios gas station located in the center of Los Angeles, at the intersection of Robertson Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard, was built in 2007 by the architectural company Office DA Architects and became an environmentally-friendly project - the only LEED-Certified green gas station in the USA (November 2007). It occupies 975 square meters (10,500 square feet). The huge canopy of the building made of triangular steel panels, covers the pumps and consists of 90 solar panels, producing electricity which could be quite enough for 2-3 average houses in the United States. Besides, the energy-efficient lighting system helps to cut down costs on electricity. The type of service is self-serve. During construction works only low-VOC paints and recycled materials were used. However, the most significant achievement of the project is that 2,270 kg (5,000 pounds) of carbon dioxide emissions are reduced per annum.

By Astghik Atabekyan, www.building.am