Can our developments clean the air?
When designing and building developments, looking at how they integrate with the surrounding landmarks is a key part to ensuring that residents have the best quality of life. In the case of Isla Intersections, one of the biggest concerns was air quality, and everything for Isla has been designed to make sure that the property works to clean the air for those living there.
When Isla opens, it will provide 53 units of permanent supportive housing built with modular shipping containers. This serves two purposes:
Because they are prebuilt modular units, the pollution that typically arises from construction of new units is reduced
Having containers makes it easier to strategically position them to minimize noise and air pollution from the nearby freeways
Implementing the idea of clean, healthy air for residents is an important part of equitable housing. These innovations will reduce air pollution from the surrounding freeways as is common in many disadvantaged neighborhoods that have historically been ostracized by discriminatory redlining policies.
Another part of Isla’s innovations around air quality is the Annenberg Paseo. Isla will open on to a shared street and public space called the Annenberg Paseo, which will contain a lush landscape called a living lung.
The concept of the living lung is simple - it is an organic net comprised of trees, irrigated by a greywater system, which will reduce air, noise and light pollution from the surrounding freeways. The trees will provide shade, filter air and shield the properties from pollutants.
When fully operational, the living lung at Isla will:
recycle 278k gallons of water annually
sequester 3.5 Tons of CO2 annually
remove 33 pounds of Ozone annually
remove 9.5 pounds of PM10 annually
remove 1.7 pounds of PM2.5 annually