When Burbank Water and Power renovated its EcoCampus along Magnolia Boulevard, officials could have chosen to totally remove elements of the old power substation there, but instead retained them and incorporated them into the landscape design.

In early June, the design by Los Angeles-based AHBE Landscape Architects won an award for landscape architecture at the 45th Annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards, hosted by the Los Angeles Business Council. The team behind designing the interiors at Legendary Entertainment in Burbank also received an award.

The awards, which were presented in a ceremony attended by more than 600 design and building professionals, honored teams on more than three dozen projects in Los Angeles and beyond, including not just the architects, but also the contractors, project managers and developers.

The winners of this years Architectural Awards demonstrate the forward-thinking innovations that make Los Angeles great, said Mary Leslie, president of the Los Angeles Business Council, in an announcement. In the face of a crisis-level drought, Angelenos rise to the challenge to design more sustainable developments, conserve water and foster a sense of community.

The announcement described the utilitys campus as a juxtaposition of industry and nature [that] demonstrates the power of landscape transformation, converting an aging industrial complex into a modern, regenerative green campus.

Part of the decommissioned substation, built during World War II, has been re-purposed as a giant super-trellis in the facilitys Centennial Courtyard, said Joe Flores, a spokesman for the utility. Its not just attractive, its functional, he said employees gather under the structure for meetings and lunches, helping to improve their working relationships.

Thats just one of many features that have gained the attention of international groups and visitors who have toured the facility, he said. Other features include storm water capture technologies that mean very little water leaves the campus, but instead recharges the aquifer. The site has been featured in architecture magazines in the United States and South Korea, he said.

Legendary Entertainment, which is located in the Pointe in the citys Media District, was recognized for its interiors that the architectural firm Felderman Keatinge + Associates sought to give a classic and timeless feel with subtle links to old Hollywood, according to the announcement.

Stand-out features include a two-story staircase that allows dramatic two-story views of the city and the sunsets and a reception area serving as a town-hall space that incorporates those views. The office also features an open work area and a full kitchen.

Legendary wanted a classic understated space that enriched their employees experience and created a sense of community, said Nancy Keatinge of Felderman Keatinge + Associates in an email last week.

Keatinge and her partner Stanley Felderman said they were honored to receive the award for the project, which they said took nine months to design and build.

Flores said the utility celebrated the EcoCampus completion officially in January 2012, but its part of an ongoing process.

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