Predesign
The project owner, the City of Austin, required that all new City of Austin projects be certified through the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED(r) Rating System. The Resource Center rating, expected to be Silver, is pending.
Design
Design-team meetings, including the owner and the sustainability consultant, were held on a weekly basis, and stakeholder meetings with representative of the downtown community were held at regular intervals.
Potential LEED points were tracked throughout the design process.
Computer modeling guided the placement of solar shading.
Construction
The commissioning agent and sustainability consultant attended weekly construction meetings. A portion of each of these jobsite meetings was allocated to LEED and other sustainability issues.
The commissioning agent wrote field reports pertaining to indoor air quality issues.
The Resource Center is sited on a former brownfield in downtown Austin, within easy access of several bus lines. The project also includes preferred parking for carpools, storage space for bicycles, and a fueling station for an electric car.
A 13,000-gallon rainwater collection system supplements the building's water supply. A passive-solar hot-water system preheats water for the showers, and a photovoltaic array supplements electricity usage.
The "stack-cast tilt-frame" structural system reduced the amount of finished materials and formwork used on the building and increases the quality of the exposed concrete finish. Flyash was used to replace 45% of the cement in the concrete. Concrete and other structural materials were left exposed in much of the building. Many of the materials used in the project contain rapidly renewable or recycled content. The project also includes FSC-certified wood and a range of locally manufactured materials. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products were avoided.
The strong connection between the interior and exterior, created through the numerous interpenetrating volumes, allows natural light and views into more than 90% of the work spaces. About 10% of the space can be naturally ventilated. Materials with low emissions of volatile organic compounds also contribute to a healthy environment.