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Claire’s on Cedros, an eco-friendly bakery and cafe in Solana Beach, San Diego, California, has earned LEED - Platinum certification, and has become the first San Diego restaurant to achieve this highest ranking from US Green Building Council (USGBC).

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Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Claire’s on Cedros is one of four restaurants in the US and one of two in the state of California to achieve this recognition. Additionally, the restaurant is the first project in San Diego County to qualify for and be granted a reduction on Coastal Commission permit fees and holds a Certified Green Restaurant designation by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA).

Jean-Louis Coquereau, AIA, LEED AP of architectural firm JLC Architecture lead the design team that included interior designer Maura Johnson, ASID of Maura Johnson Interior Design and Naomi Stein of M & W Landscaping.

The project, located on a 20,000 square feet parcel of land features an American bistro café and bakery with a separate commercial office space and an attached live/work loft.

The existing assemblage of buildings, scattered across an underutilized urban site, provided the framework for the new scheme. The 500 square feet new construction is contained within the envelope of the existing buildings. The traditional form of the house is maintained and sits comfortably alongside more modern interpretations towards the rear of the site.

Sustainable design has been given paramount importance throughout with features such as pervious paving, green roof, FSC-certified wood paving and cladding. Mechanical systems work in tandem with a large photovoltaic array and are designed to take advantage of the natural breezes of the coastal climate.