National group picks Parking Structure 3 as Innovative Facility of the Year

UC Davis Medical Center’s Parking Structure 3 has been selected as the 2013 Innovative Facility of the Year by the National Parking Association.

In the association’s publication, “Parking,” it praises Parking Structure 3 for featuring “the latest in seismic design, advanced parking technology, individual parking stall availability indicators, and a lot of natural light in the interior for safety and security.”

The magazine also cited the structure’s louvered shade screens, which veil the building from the street and create privacy for the adjacent patient rooms. Made of nearly 4,000 extruded aluminum fins, each blade is rotated at a distinct angle designed to reflect light inside the structure.

Parking Structure 3 opened in July 2012 to address a longstanding need for more parking spaces near the hospital.

The seven-level facility, in addition to providing much-needed spaces near the hospital, features elements that make it easier for patrons to use and promote environmental sustainability. The top level of the structure has rows of photovoltaic panels that provide shade for vehicles underneath them and generate renewable energy that furnish the power needed to operate the facility. It also has several charging stations for electric vehicles.