The following building projects in Texas have received a
high-level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building
Council.
In this story:
EMS Station No. 28, Austin
City Hall, Austin
NASA Facility, Houston
UT Nursing School, Houston
Southern Methodist University, Dallas
Children's Hospital, Austin
Sidebar: Efficiency Standards Increase
See related story: Blueprint for Sustainability
EMS Station No. 28, Austin
The first public building in Texas to bring home the gold LEED
rating was an Emergency Medical Services station built in 2004 by
the city of Austin. The 24/7 response facility houses a
communications area, a truck bay, and temporary living quarters for
EMS workers.
Much of its energy strategy relies on an insulated concrete wall
system that was built with a high proportion of recycled material
and was produced near Austin.
The 5,300-square-foot station has low energy bills and
outstanding sound insulation. Wide porches and a rainwater
collection cistern also help shave energy bills.
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City Hall, Austin
Austin again boosted its environmentally friendly reputation in
late 2004 by opening a new city hall that qualified for the
gold-level LEED. The project used recycled construction materials,
recycled its construction waste, and chose indoor products that
emit low levels of volatile organic compounds (paints, carpets,
adhesives).
The city met the LEED urban redevelopment goal by locating its
city hall amidst dense downtown development. It also got points for
encouraging employees to use alternative forms of
transportation—the basement includes showers and locker rooms
for bicycle riders.
For electricity, the building is 100 percent subscribed to
renewable energy, which includes wind power. Condensation from the
air conditioning system is converted into a waterfall in one of the
outdoor plazas.
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NASA Facility, Houston
The Johnson Space Center opened a new astronaut quarantine
facility in 2005 after meeting the LEED certification requirements
for sustainability.
The one-story building with 12 bedrooms is where astronauts
spend three days in isolation before a spaceflight. They get
medical exams and adjust their sleep schedules to match the demands
of the upcoming flight. After the mission, they return for rest and
debriefing.
The stand-alone building was built with recycled structural
framing; recycled rubberized floors; high-efficient heating,
ventilation, and air-conditioning systems; and energy-monitoring
control systems. Landscaping includes a retention pond to minimize
runoff, native vegetation, and permeable gravel driveways and
grass-pave parking areas.
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Awaiting Certification
The following projects were designed to qualify for some of the
highest LEED standards. They are registered with, but not yet
certified by, the U.S. Green Building Council.
UT Nursing School, Houston
The University of Texas nursing school in Houston responded to
an acute nursing shortage by undertaking a major expansion of its
program and facilities.
One result is a $57 million building at the Texas Medical Center
that not only brings more students and faculty to the school but
sets a new design standard for campus buildings. The eight-story
School of Nursing and Student Community Center opened in 2004 with
23 classrooms, the latest in audiovisual technology, and a
nursing-skills laboratory with 32 beds.
The building surface is made from recycled materials such as fly
ash, a waste byproduct of coal-burning power plants. It includes
aluminum panels made from 92 percent recycled material, wood siding
made of sinker cypress from the bottom of the Mississippi River,
and red bricks salvaged from a 19th century warehouse.
Energy-efficiency measures include individualized temperature
controls and an under-floor air distribution system. Also,
water-recovery tanks and troughs on the roof and sides of the
building collect rainwater, which is then used for irrigation and
toilet flushing.
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Southern Methodist University,
Dallas
SMU's J. Lindsay Embrey Building was built with designs on
obtaining the gold-level LEED. The university building, which
houses the departments of mechanical engineering and environmental
and civil engineering, opened in the fall of 2006.
To qualify for the gold level, most of the building materials
came from within 500 miles of the campus, and at least
three-quarters of the construction waste was recycled, rather than
being sent to a landfill.
To save energy, the building features large windows and a
three-story internal light column that brings daylight to interior
rooms. The building also saves on monthly water bills by recycling
water from the HVAC system and using waterless urinals.
While the LEED certification will not be issued until later this
year, SMU officials believe they have opened the state's first
university building at the gold level.
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Children's Hospital, Austin
The Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas opened in
June 2007 with a bold plan—to qualify for the LEED platinum
status. If it does, the $200 million medical center, with 170 beds,
could be the first hospital in the world to obtain the top LEED
standard.
Located on 32 acres of what once was Austin's municipal airport,
the complex is expected to serve as a model of a "healthy
hospital." No high-VOC paints or solvents were used, nor PCBs.
Open-air courtyards throughout the hospital bring natural light
and a healing environment to young patients. Energy savings are
achieved through the use of solar panels, heat-recovery systems,
and an on-site high-efficiency power plant.
The city of Austin and Austin Energy helped the Seton Family of
Hospitals, the hospital owner, with the design and engineering of
the power plant, which produces chilled water and steam as well as
power.
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Efficiency Standards Increase
The Legislature has expanded requirements for energy savings in
government functions.
Senate Bill 12 requires universities, state agencies, school
districts, and local governments to devise plans to reduce
electricity consumption by 5 percent a year through 2013. Except
for school districts, progress reports are due annually to the
State Energy Conservation Office.
The new law also requires state agencies to purchase equipment
and appliances that meet the federal Energy Star standards, if the
purchase is cost-effective.
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