Helios House, Sustainable gas station on Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, US
Helios House is a gas station on Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles, covered by a wavy roof made from recycled stainless steel and topped with a cactus garden that hangs over the pumping area. The building uses LED lighting throughout and channels rainwater to feed the drought-resistant plants on its roof.
The station opened in 2007 on the site of an older Thrifty gas station that had operated there for years before. At the time of its opening, it was the first gas station in the world to seek LEED certification.
Helios House shows that a gas station can become a conversation piece in a city where design and daily life often cross paths. Many visitors stop not just to fill their tank but to look more closely at the cactus garden on the roof.
The station is easy to spot from the road, so a quick stop is simple to fit into a drive through this part of Los Angeles. Pulling into the forecourt gives a closer look at the roof structure and the cactus garden above the pumps.
The canopy's 90 solar panels produce enough electricity for two to three average American homes, cutting the station's energy use by 16%. Rainwater collected on the roof feeds the cacti and other drought-tolerant plants, and the site recycles paper, cans, bottles and cell phones.
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