USGBC Texas News

Green Building Walk & Talk - Austin

Jonathan Kraatz — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:44:19 GMT

Refreshingly cool and damp weather greeted our group of about a dozen green building practitioners for a guided walk through some of Austin’s scenic West End and south shore in December. Jeremy Sigmon, of Powerstack, and Lisa Storer, of Austin Transit Partnership, co-led the walk with our sponsors.

The tour began by featuring the work of our sponsor, STG Design, offering a glimpse of the complex evolution of the Seaholm Power Plant district. The story of Seaholm echoes a similar story heard along the tour route. Since the 1960s, the vision for downtown has dramatically changed from a utilitarian one – including roadways, office buildings, and power plants – to a more utopian one, where downtown is now alive with world class greenspaces, pedestrian trails, recreational waterways, and sustainable residential and commercial buildings to match.

The reimagined former power plant, largely rebuilt between 2005 and 2015, is home to vibrant commercial and residential structures that boast LEED Gold and AEGB 4-Star certifications. The Seaholm Residences, together with the infrastructure and open spaces that each emerged from a contaminated brownfield, comprise the Seaholm Ecodistrict. Read more about the many environmental, mobility, and artistic triumphs of Seaholm’s redevelopment.

The walking tour made its way to the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge after passing through Seaholm’s “Electric Alley”, the city’s flagship downtown EV charging hub and past the CapMetro bus stop where a PowerStack solar pole survived getting run over by a bus before being relocated to a less exposed location. The bridge, a design marvel itself, offers a commanding view of the lifeblood of downtown Austin’s redevelopment: Ladybird Lake. The lake was a happy accident from the Holly Street Power Plant’s need for cooling water in 1960 and quickly spurred creative thinking by Austinites who began to reenvision a more beautiful, recreational, and desirable downtown. The bridge is the keystone of the 10-mile Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail that serves as a lively and pleasant pedestrian mobility circuit through the heart of central Austin.

Crossing to the south shore, the group climbed the spiraling hill named for local music legend Doug Sahm. The summit offers an ideal vantage point over the city skyline, where the tour focused on the larger arc of green building and sustainability history in Austin: the birthplace of the country’s green building design and practice some 50 years ago with the pioneering work of the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems and the community that launched the nation’s first green building standard, Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB). Austin is now home to 429 LEED certified activities, 72 million square feet of LEED certified space, and more than 21,000 AEGB rated projects, including significant recent contributions in virtually every building type. Read more on the Green Building Information Gateway.

While on the south shore, the group admired the world’s first 3D printed amphitheater, the Cosmic Pavillion, on the lawn of the Long Center for the Performing Arts, which continues its commitment to sustainability excellence by recertifying under LEED O+M. Before leaving the south shore, the tour group paused in front of the Fannie Davis Town Lake Gazebo. The gazebo is the first public structure to have been built on the city’s new lakeshore some 60+ years ago and that now celebrates the role of women in construction, especially those to have envisioned the lakefront as a new public resource.

Before returning to the north shore of the lake, the tour group paused on the South First Street Bridge to consider the continual evolution of the lakefront towards the east. Here, the group was oriented to the 19 acre planned unit development (PUD) of the old Austin-American Statesman property as part of the broader south shore redevelopment, the rapid density growth of the Rainey Street district, plans for the new Austin Convention Center, the expansion of the city’s light rail system, and the rise of the tallest building in Texas, the Waterline tower. Sustainable design and certification schemes such as AEGB and LEED are endemic in each of these projects thanks both to city policy and market demand for green and resilient practices and outcomes. Notably, tour sponsor STG commented on their three high rise multifamily condominium projects in the district – Natiivo, Vesper, and 62 East (in permitting) – with energy efficiency, centralized hot water systems, and exceptional density. Each has either earned or is pursuing a 3 Star AEGB rating.

To close the tour, the group passed through a park named for the city’s first tree advocate and city councilmember, Margaret Hoffman, and past Austin City Hall. Completed in 2004 and earning LEED Gold certification, Austin City Hall was an early landmark green building that put Austin on the map for green design of public structures.

Arriving at Shoal Creek at the edge of the former Seaholm Power Plant, the tour group stood in front of the city’s next great leap in green public buildings, Austin Central Library, earning LEED Platinum certification in 2018. The STG team pointed up to the striking curtain wall facade of the Block 185 “sail” building, winner of many awards, LEED Platinum certified in 2023 and AEGB 4-Star rated. As one of the last undeveloped waterfront properties in the city, this striking tower is one of STG Design’s most iconic projects. It rises from the old Greenwater water treatment plant. The 35-story tower slashes energy, water, and waste while completely remaking the Austin skyline.

The two hour tour featured many highlights on a foggy evening but only scratched the surface of the many more sustainability achievements designed and built into Austin’s buildings, landscapes, and infrastructure. Join us for another view of Austin’s continually evolving sustainable downtown later this year – on paddleboards!

For more sustainability focused tours, events, and experiences from USGBC Texas, visit https://usgbctexas.org/events.

Credit Human Headquarters Earns USGBC’s Texas Decarbonization Award

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:34:14 GMT

Some folks worry that sustainability doesn’t fly in Texas, but Credit Human’s headquarters in San Antonio’s revitalized Pearl District has passed the test with flying colors—and a new award. The Credit Human Development has received numerous honors for its sustainable design integrating leading-edge clean technologies, most recently in the Texas Decarbonization category in USGBC’s 2024 U.S. Market Leadership Awards recognizing excellence in creating better buildings and improving lives in the community.

Designed for the comfort of 1,200 employees, the 200,000-square-foot healthy workplace leads the way for future commercial buildings, not only in the Lone Star State but nationally. Recipients of this prestigious award were determined by an esteemed panel of judges representing leaders and stakeholders in the USGBC community with a variety of technical, market and sector perspectives and expertise. Projects were judged based on their certification level under LEED or another GBCI rating system, goals, strategies, synergies, performance and significance or impact within their local market.

USGBC Texas Executive Director Jonathan Kraatz said:

The Credit Human Broadway Development is a great example of how systems and partners work together to make a whole that exceeds the sum of its parts. The partners who came together to create it, including Trane Technologies, Mitsubishi Electric and many others, each played a significant role in inspiring a shift toward innovation, efficiency and resilience in the building industry.

Working Together to Raise the Standard for Resource Efficiency

The Credit Human headquarters, which was completed in January 2021 and achieved Platinum LEED certification in July 2022, integrates state-of-the-art technologies, innovative solutions and a commitment to responsibility and employee well-being. It was built with ambitious sustainability goals in mind, and the results speak for themselves. Built on a mission to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2025, the project has exceeded expectations, achieving a 96% reduction in energy use compared to traditional office buildings. This is made possible by clean technologies ranging from a solar array and geothermal energy to a Mitsubishi Electric water-source VRF zoning system for energy efficiency and occupant comfort.

As impressive as the property’s performance is, earning awards doesn’t happen without an advocate to back the nomination and create the submission. That’s where this story shifts from innovation to the people advancing it. Seeing an opportunity for Credit Human to earn some well-deserved recognition, members of Trane’s team reached out to METUS to enlist their support and teamed up on the application.

Brad Bright (Systems Account Manager), Adrian Martinez (System Sales Manager), and Kalib Brignac (Area General Manager S. Texas)

Trane Technologies Area General Manager Kalib Brignac said:

The Credit Human Broadway Development sets a new standard for sustainability, and we are proud of the role our expertise and technology played in achieving it. This project demonstrates that energy conservation and responsible stewardship of resources can create resilient spaces and workplaces that make corporate leaders and employees proud.

Showcasing the power of collaboration to achieve sustainability goals, the project was also made possible through partnerships with local organizations, including Silver Ventures, the San Antonio Water System and the U.S. Green Building Council. A notable achievement was the building's certification as the first commercial structure in San Antonio to receive the Build San Antonio Green Certified Climate Ready status. This distinction recognizes the building’s resilience and preparedness for climate challenges.

Key Strategies for Sustainable Performance

Energy-Efficient HVAC and Lighting: The building’s water-cooled VRF HVAC system, combined with advanced plug load controls and LED lighting, optimizes energy usage while maintaining comfort. This system, coupled with high-performance insulation and building materials, reduces energy demand and enhances indoor air quality.
Geothermal Systems: A geothermal energy system with 150 wells, each about 300 feet deep, ensures the building's heating and cooling needs are met efficiently. This system saves over 1.25 million gallons of water annually and significantly reduces energy consumption for temperature regulation.
Solar Power: The 1-megawatt solar array with 3,000 solar panels, generates approximately 40% of the building’s energy, significantly lowering its carbon footprint. This initiative is part of Credit Human's dedication to renewable energy sources and advancing the integration of solar power in commercial spaces.
Water Management: At the heart of the building's sustainability efforts is its water capture system. The headquarters collects and reuses rainwater and condensate, reducing potable water dependence by 97%. The system, which stores 140,000 gallons of water, supports non-potable needs such as irrigation, cooling towers, and toilets.
Waste Reduction: Aiming to achieve zero waste by 2025, the headquarters currently diverts 55% of its waste from landfills, with a focus on composting and recycling. The building also supports the Credit Human Zero Waste Initiative, which targets reducing food waste—a significant contributor to global greenhouse gases.

Insights for Future Green Projects

Credit Human’s new headquarters is more than just a workplace; it’s also a living lab for future sustainability efforts. It conveys the company’s commitment to sustainable growth and community investment. As an anchor for San Antonio’s revitalized Pearl District, the headquarters integrates green infrastructure into the urban landscape, demonstrating how corporate social responsibility can drive broader development goals in alignment with the SA Tomorrow vision. By embracing green building practices, Credit Human is encouraging other organizations to follow suit and invest in sustainability for the long-term benefit of the environment and their communities.

Key takeaways for future projects include:

Holistic Integration: Combining energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy strategies ensures a building's sustainability and reduces its reliance on external resources.
Setting Clear Performance Benchmarks: Establishing measurable goals for energy consumption, water use and waste diversion provides a clear roadmap for success.
Collaboration and Community Engagement: Partnering with local entities and engaging with the community ensures that a building addresses both environmental and social needs.
Resilience and Adaptability: Building designs must prioritize resilience, ensuring long-term sustainability in the face of climate challenges.
Economic Benefits of Sustainability: Investing in green infrastructure yields not only environmental benefits but also long-term economic returns, as demonstrated by the 11%-13% projected rate of return over 30 years for Credit Human’s headquarters.

Navigating LEED v5 with USGBC Texas: The future of sustainable construction

Suryabala Sah — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:16:34 GMT

This newest iteration of LEED reflects the urgency of global climate goals, integrating new prerequisites, improved frameworks, and expanded credit categories to address decarbonization, health, equity, and resilience.

LEED v5 builds on a foundation of progress, as highlighted by USGBC’s recent Impact Report, which reveals the tangible benefits of LEED-certified projects over the years. The report notes that these projects have collectively saved over 120 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, reshaped industry standards, and contributed to sustainable development on a global scale. With over 195,000 projects across 186 countries and more than 29 billion square feet of certified space, the influence of LEED-certified buildings is profound — and LEED v5 is poised to amplify this impact.

Achieving LEED v5 certification requires comprehensive tools and data to meet the new requirements effectively. Software platforms like One Click LCA streamline the life-cycle assessment (LCA) process by integrating material data, automating reporting, and generating compliance-ready documentation. These tools enable project teams to quantify material impacts and explore carbon reduction strategies through detailed baseline comparisons.

One Click LCA recently sat down with David MacLean and Suryabala Sah of USGBC-TX to learn more about how LEED v5 will impact the construction industry.

Read the full article here: LEED v5: The future of sustainable construction | One Click LCA

2023 Review: Texas Green Building Advocacy in Action

Jonathan Kraatz — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:47:58 GMT

By Jeremy Sigmon, Ken Flippin and David Matiella contributions by Jonathan Kraatz
In August, USGBC Texas convened a virtual meeting to summarize the outcomes of the 88th Texas Legislature after two special sessions. Four months and two additional special sessions later, we offer a 2023 year-end review. A fifth special session may still be called in the New Year. Here’s a status update on USGBC Texas’s green building policy priorities.

This year’s agenda covered four overarching themes:

Fix the grid with energy efficiency and demand response

Create safe, green schools

Raise building and energy codes

Transform the market for green buildings and jobs

Our advocacy consultant Ken Flippin spent many days at the capitol prior to the session’s start and during the spring sprint to seed and nurture these policy concepts, spread across an initial list of 25 bills. A group of USGBC Texas members spent a day at the capitol in March conducting more than 20 meetings with lawmakers’ offices, adding further support for these policies and adding context to their value.

During this year’s continual drumbeat on headline-grabbing topics such as property taxes, school funding, immigration, and impeachment, USGBC Texas counts several wins on which to build and grow for the 89th.

Playing defense, we’re pleased to report the following bills did not advance or their potentially damaging impacts were reduced:

SB1828 on energy performance contracting	Bill died
HB 3964 on energy efficiency	Bill died
SB 2432 on rejecting federal funds	Bill died
SB 624 on permitting for renewables	Bill died
SB 1860 / HB 4930 on climate action	Passed, but with minimized impacts

Playing offense, we’re pleased to report the following bills either passed or advanced significantly, demonstrating momentum and clear interest by the legislature that can be an indicator for further action and possible adoption next session.

SB 1050 / HB 2263 on energy efficiency programs for gas	Bill passed the Senate, 4 actions in the House. USGBC TX testified in support
SB 785 on geothermal energy resources (evolved from SB 1050 + HB 2263)	Bill passed. USGBC TX testified in support
SB 1699 on distributed energy resources	Bill passed.
SB 2453 on financial impact of energy codes on housing	Bill passed both the House and Senate. Bill vetoed by the Governor.
SB 258 on 1% efficiency savings goal	Bill passed the Senate, 5 actions in the House.
HB 4246 on scholarships for rural students, rural economic development, and energy efficiency assistance	Bill passed.
SB 786 / HB 1677 on closed-loop geothermal injection wells	Bill passed.
SB 1210 on gas wells	Bill passed.
HB 3131 on orphan gas wells	Bill died after 3 actions in the House.

If a fifth special session is called, we hope Governor Abbott will follow through on his promise to revive and reconsider several bills that were vetoed in order to advance property tax reform measures. Now that property tax measures have passed, there may be an opportunity to revisit these bills, even if probably a longshot. Our priority bills that did not pass could still advance in a special session, even if unlikely.

Forthcoming deadlines for the state to accept federal funds loom large. USGBC continues to advocate for accepting federal funding for energy efficiency, clean energy, and electrification, however state leadership continues to suggest that Texas – forever the Lone Star – may choose to go without.

However the final loose ends are resolved, USGBC Texas and its members can be proud of another set of successes and progress on which to build for the 89th session which will begin its planning stages in 2024 and kick off in 2025 for yet another high-intensity sprint.

For more information, watch the recording of USGBC Texas’s 88th Legislative Session Wrap Up from August, 2023. To get involved, connect with your regional council of USGBC Texas or contact advocacy@usgbctexas.org.

Building Industry Leaders Collaborate for Outdoor Learning

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 18:45:12 GMT

Research shows that outdoor time benefits students’ well-being in myriad ways, yet some Title 1 schools lack adequate equipment to facilitate outdoor learning, dining and play. Building industry leaders set out to beautify Austin schools by partnering on the Green Apple Central Texas 2023 service project hosted by USGBC Texas. The volunteer-driven event held on October 14 drew approximately 40 volunteers to Lively Middle School to build and paint picnic tables to be installed at Lively and two other Austin ISD campuses, Odom Elementary School and Paredes Middle School.

“We are deeply grateful to USGBC Texas and school administrators, community partners, and donors for turning this project into such a beneficial and heart-warming event,” said Austin ISD Sustainability Director Darien Clary. “It was touching to see how many student volunteers showed up, and how they took such pride in making the tables and bringing them to life with thoughtfully selected paint colors.”

Community and corporate partners assisting with the effort included Perkins & Will, Lowe’s, Kelly-Moore Paints, Texas Disposal Systems, American Constructors, Clean Power Marketing Group, Legacy Lighting, and ERT Lighting, whose monetary and in-kind donations enabled the construction of 28 wooden picnic tables.

The build day brought out the kid in everyone—and that was by design, if you ask the color expert at Kelly-Moore Paints who created a custom color palette focused on colors to inspire wonder, growth and innovation in young minds.

“In the spirit of this project and based on our color trend forecasting for 2024 and 2025, we focused our attention on the stories of exploration and renewability that are emerging, especially from our newest generation of creators—kids,” said Kelly-Moore Director, Brand and Creative, Shannon Kaye. “The color patterns we selected have an ethereal reflective quality expressing a more expansive understanding of what is possible in the future.”

The palette included earthy hues for the calming effects of reassurance and relaxation, and effervescent hues to convey interconnectedness and hopefulness while encouraging creativity. An additional creative boost came in the form of the annular solar eclipse, which began in Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PDT and ended in Texas at 12:03 p.m.

“The eclipse added even more unforgettable moments,” said Clary. “Getting to experience the eclipse together was absolutely brilliant!”

USGBC Central Texas Board Member Shivani Langer, a Perkins & Will architect who organized the event, observed:

As designers of educational facilities and encouraging health and wellness strategies in all school buildings, we always design exterior spaces that facilitate outdoor activities and use. Yet many schools do not have the opportunity to get a remodel or redesign, and cannot use outdoor spaces due to lack of outdoor furniture or infrastructure. This picnic tables fundraising and volunteering project has been hugely successful in the last two years in providing what is needed to the schools that need it the most. I am humbled by how many corporate partners came alongside others in the sustainability community, including Austin ISD leaders and parents to make this volunteer day such a success.

“We are immensely grateful to our members and sponsors who generously give back to the Austin community and to the companies that supported Green Apple Central Texas 2023,” said Jonathan Kraatz, executive director of USGBC Texas. “Providing the means to positively impact the learning environment of students directly helps fulfill our Chapter’s mission and our commitment to ensuring a better built environment for Texas, today and tomorrow.”

Sustainability in the Summer Sun: An Austin Experience

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 17:07:49 GMT

By Jeremy Sigmon, LEED AP

It was 95 degrees outside, but USGBC Texas’s Central Region was cool inside Standard Proof Whiskey on Rainey Street. Food, drink, and camaraderie were key in preparing for what came next: a Green Buildings, Boats, and Bats tour. I had planned a paddleboarding tour of Ladybird Lake to see Austin’s sustainable infrastructure (and bats!) from the water – and was committed to keeping everyone healthy and well with enough drinking water, life vests, and a green building buddy system. It worked.

As the sun began its descent, 30 building industry professionals marched a few hundred yards down the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail to a boat ramp to load up on seven giant paddleboards for the most unique event of the year. At four gathering points in the middle of Ladybird Lake facing parts of downtown Austin, attendees were presented with facts, figures, and stories about nearly 30 examples of green design, development, and construction. The end of the floating tour included a presentation about the Congress Avenue Bridge bats - America’s most popular bats and the world’s largest urban bat colony. The furry and friendly flying mammals put on quite a show, narrated by our guides in warm water flotation and thick algae circumnavigation: Boats & Bats Kayak & Paddleboard Tours.

Many thanks to Pfluger Architects for sponsoring the event and to Lisa Storer for co-leading the tour with me and filling in the gaps. There’s so much to see and talk about within the viewshed of Town Lake that we just might have to host another tour!

Check out the event flier and tour map . Here are a few highlights from each stop of the tour:

Tour Stop #1:

In this 30th anniversary year of USGBC, we’re proud to point to the extent that sustainability practice has infiltrated our industry, our buildings, and our city. In fact, many foundational green building concepts and even building labeling itself has its roots here in Austin.

Did you know that there are 360+ LEED certifications across 63 million square feet of commercial and multifamily real estate in Austin? Or that there are 600+ LEED for Homes certifications, 430+ Energy Star certified buildings, and nearly 20,000 Austin Energy Green Building rated projects?

During the first stop on the tour, we looked at several nearby LEED-certified multifamily projects, talked about Austin’s South Central Waterfront Initiative, and highlighted Festival Beach Food Forest – an oasis for all in our downtown.

Tour Stop #2:

Rounding the bend and approaching downtown, we shared some of the sustainability past and future of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, including its planned expansion. Lisa pointed out the outlet of Waller Creek, a critical piece of new flood management, water quality, and pedestrian greenspace infrastructure facilitated by the Waterloo Greenway. She also pointed out the site of the planned light rail and pedestrian bridge at Trinity Street called for by Project Connect, to be implemented by Austin Transit Partnership.

From this vantage point we could see new buildings rising on Rainey Street and Red River, including Austin’s soon-to-be tallest (allegedly “supertall”) building that, like all other high-rise construction downtown, will implement green building practices, and often certify to LEED, as a community benefit in exchange for a zoning variance for increased development density (see Austin’s Downtown Density Bonus Program).

Tour Stop #3:

From this vantage point, we could see the heart of the downtown lakefront, featuring the decorated ENERGY STAR and LEED achievements of 98 San Jacinto, which recertified to LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) Gold in 2022 under LEED v4.1, as well as Austin’s iconic Frost Bank Tower also recertifying to LEED-EB v4.1 Gold in 2022.

Notably, I learned and shared that the commanding view of the Texas Capitol is flanked by two high-performing red-brown towers on either side of Congress Avenue Bridge. On the left, 100 Congress earned LEED-EB v2009 Gold in 2014. On the right, 111 Congress first certified in 2011 and recertified to LEED-EBv2009 at the Certified level in 2017, includes a LEED for Commercial Interiors certification as well as several ENERGY STAR certifications.

Tour Stop #4:

Carrying on towards the setting sun and the South First bridge, the tour continued with several standout projects on the north and south shores.

On the north/downtown side, Austin City Hall remains an early landmark project for the city, earning LEED NC v2.0 Gold in 2006. Twelve years later, Austin Central Library earned its LEED for New Construction v2009 Platinum certification – the city’s first. In between these two civic structures is the unique, sail-like building at Block 185 which earned LEED for Core & Shell (LEED-CS) v4 Platinum earlier this year. Board member Andrew Clements also shared some of the historic preservation history of the Buford Fire Tower.

On the south shore, we pointed out Austin’s smartest building, RiverSouth, which earned LEED-CS v4 Gold this year. Near RiverSouth now sits the world’s first 3-D printed performance pavilion. Nearer to the lake is the Fannie Davis Town Lake Gazebo which commemorates the role Austin women played in realizing a vision for public spaces and infrastructure around what is now called Ladybird Lake.

Concluding the green buildings and infrastructure part of our tour, Jessica Molter from tour sponsor Pfluger Architects (thank you!) shared the history of the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge connects the Butler trails and honors local architect James D. Pfluger, who designed some of the hike-and-bike trails.

Tour Stop #5:

Just after sunset, our group was given a spectacular show. Austin’s unique and impressive bat colony provides a cogent reminder that, with good design and management, we can coexist with nature and nurture the natural systems that nurture us. This fitting conclusion underscores the value of the green building work we do here in Central Texas and that the USGBC community has been doing now for 30 years!

After the bat viewing, and far enough away from the bridge colony, I piloted something fun: the world’s first floating PowerStack pole, which served as a bright light for the paddle back to land.

Thanks again to Pfluger Architects for sponsoring and to Lisa Storer for being a great co-leader of our first (annual?) floating tour of Austin’s green buildings and infrastructure!

Learn more about Austin’s green buildings and sustainable infrastructure with the following resources:

Texas Disposal Systems Takes a ‘Repurposeful’ Approach to Managing Waste

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 16:03:50 GMT

Texas Disposal Systems Takes a ‘Repurposeful’ Approach to Managing Waste

If you’ve never visited a landfill, you don’t know what you’re missing. But then again, Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) isn’t just a landfill -- it’s a 2,300-acre site devoted to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The company’s commitment to diversion is evidenced by their fully integrated facility, which incorporates solid waste disposal, compost production and recycling operations. USGBC Texas members recently had the privilege of touring Texas Disposal Systems in Austin and got an up-close look at the company’s state-of-the-art recycling facilities and innovative approaches to reusing materials and protecting the Central Texas environment.

During the two-hour tour, the group learned about TDS’s extensive recycling programs, which cover a wide range of materials, from construction and demolition waste to ferrous and non-ferrous metals, rigid plastics, and even packaging and construction waste from the nearby Tesla EV factory. TDS receives 100% of Austin’s residential waste and approximately 45% of residential recyclables, as well as handling approximately one-third of San Antonio’s residential waste, and handles services for other towns in Central Texas, including San Marcos, Kyle, Buda and Georgetown. Their familiar green recycling trucks with exotic animal imagery also serve the West Texas communities of San Angelo and Alpine.

TDS makes every effort to divert recyclable or reusable resources from landfills and actively seeks out advanced technologies to handle complex waste streams effectively. The company has even set aside part of their property, an eco-industrial park, for companies who want to partner with them to create after-market products from recycled materials.

Turning Construction Waste into New Green-Building Products

One of the most exciting products TDS is developing is a concrete aggregate composed of glass, sand and other materials recovered from the construction waste stream.

For those in the construction and green-building industry, TDS is a one-stop shop, offering services such as roll-off dumpsters for bulk waste pick-up needs at job sites, portable restrooms, concrete and demolition recycling, source separation of materials, landscaping solutions and now, repurposed building materials.

TDS uses a “closed-loop” process to divert green waste, brush, tree trimmings, and fruit and vegetable matter from taking up space in our landfills while also creating premium-quality composts, soils and mulches available through its affiliate, Garden-Ville.

“We joyfully embrace our role as stewards of the environment,” said Adam Gregory, who led our tour. “Only through operating practices that are safe, measurable, economical and environmentally sound can we bring long-term benefits to our employees, customers and the communities we serve.” Adam’s enthusiasm was contagious. His father, Bob Gregory, founded TDS with a single truck back in 1977, and Adam said he began “working” for TDS at the tender age of 6, when he would help his dad pick up trash on the Texas roads.

What truly stood out on our tour was TDS’ total dedication to restoration. TDS employs sustainable land management techniques, including habitat restoration initiatives. The company actively manages a buffer zone around the landfill that operates as an exotic wildlife preserve. Their innovative landfill management techniques are a model for others to emulate, and the team’s expertise is often sought out by waste-management organizations across the country.

TDS sets a high bar for environmental sustainability, and USGBC TX commends them for their unwavering commitment to a greener future.

To learn more about Texas Disposal Systems and their work to keep Texas green, visit: www.texasdisposal.com

To sign up for one of USGBC Texas’ upcoming green tours, happy hours or other events, visit our Events page.

How Green are Our Schools? An Update on the Austin ISD Bond Programs

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:57:00 GMT

How Green are Our Schools? An Update on the Austin ISD Bond Programs

Q&A with Darien Clary, Sustainability Director
Austin Independent School District

Austin Independent School District has become an incubator for green schools among K-12 school districts by advancing and formalizing green building design and sustainable operations into district-wide standards. The results of this accomplishment are an anticipated 60 LEED and/or AEGB certified green buildings, many of which are made possible through city of Austin’s 2017 and 2022 bond programs.

We recently sat down with Darien Clary, Sustainability Director at Austin ISD, to discuss the progress to date and share insights from the school communities.

How many of the schools funded in the 2017 bond have been built to date?

All but one have been completed. The final school, Dr. General Marshall Middle School, is scheduled for completion in Fall 2023. You can view the full list of new and modernized schools from the 2017 Bond Program here. You may also view targeted improvements for schools that include HVAC, security/fire alarm, technology, electrical, upgrades, etc. here.

What kind of annual emissions offset would that represent?

Districtwide, Austin ISD has reduced energy consumption by 13,040 Metric Tons of CO₂ equivalent since 2017 by constructing newer energy-efficient buildings, LED lighting retrofits, HVAC upgrades, and student and staff engagement campaigns. This is the equivalent of powering over 1,780 homes in Austin for one year. (sources for equivalencies: EPA and Austin Energy)

We are currently conducting energy studies on each newly constructed project to understand exactly how much is attributable to the new buildings. So far, we know that Govalle and Menchaca elementaries, both of which were modernized, saved $74,833 in utility costs in their first year of operation alone.

Govalle Elementary (picture right) is in the nation’s top 5% for energy performance in K–12 schools. Menchaca Elementary went from one of the least energy-efficient schools in the U.S.—ranked in the lowest 6% of K-12 schools nationwide—to the top 16%.

How many schools are or will be retrofits vs. new builds?

The 2017 bond included two new schools: Bear Creek Elementary and Dr. General Marshall Middle School. Regarding the modernized campuses, many of the projects are complete replacements, while others like Norman-Sims Elementary (pictured below) and Brentwood Elementary used as much of the existing building as possible and worked this into the redesign of the new school. The scale of construction was quite substantial so these are still considered “new” facilities, although much of the structure was repurposed.

There were also partial build/renovation projects, such as Austin High and Bowie High, that included a new addition or the first phase of major construction.

Lastly, there were targeted projects to address needed repairs to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, electrical, plumbing, roofing, safety systems, academic reinvention projects and other needs. There were many districtwide. A full list of projects for each campus in the 2017 bond book. The district has completed 87 targeted projects and is on track to complete an additional 23 projects in 2023.

What are the most common types of green-building approaches that have made the most significant impact on the projects?

Energy is the second highest cost to Austin ISD behind salaries, so building more energy-efficient buildings can have a big impact for Austin ISD, both environmentally and economically. We have seen that our new facilities have a lower energy use per square foot than the older buildings they have replaced.

We have also witnessed the improvements to the learning and school environment that come with connecting our students, teachers, and staff to the outdoors. Our new schools feature ample natural light, visual connections to outside, and outdoor learning spaces. (Ann Richards School pictured right)

All new schools include the following:

LED lighting
Native and adaptive landscapes that support local wildlife and reduce water use
Green stormwater infrastructure
Construction waste recycling
Electric vehicle-ready parking or charging stations
Solar-ready roofs
Outdoor learning areas to foster connections to the natural environment
High-efficiency HVAC systems
High-performance windows
Daylight and occupancy sensors
Water use reduction
Locally-sourced building materials to limit emissions associated with transportation

How have students and parents responded?

We’ve received positive feedback from our parents, students, teachers and community members. We have also seen that thoughtful and sustainable design not only helps us reduce operational costs, but it transfers directly to the student experience.

At the beginning of the 2017 bond, the concept of a “modernized” school was new and very different from what most were accustomed to. The new vision includes flexible learning spaces that educators and learners can configure as needed, technology distributed throughout and dedicated community spaces. Consideration of outside space is equally important as interior spaces for learning, increased sightlines and visible connections throughout.

Throughout the multi-year process of designing and building the modernized schools, parents, teachers, community members, students, and design professionals took their schools from ideas to drawings, through construction, and finally occupied spaces for teaching and learning. With such transformational results from the first round of modernizations, other school communities have been eager to see similar changes for their own schools through the voter-approved 2022 Bond Program.

Below are just some of the things we’ve heard from our students and staff:

“Having so much natural light in the building helps me focus and feel more positive throughout the day when I’m doing my schoolwork.”

Felix Luna, student at East Side Early College High School

“This school is focused on our children and being stewards of our environment. Kids want to be outside. The daylight brings that natural feel indoors and creates classrooms where our students want to learn.”

Veronica Sharp, Former Principal of T.A. Brown Elementary

“The best thing about the new building is the flexibility it gives our teachers. No building can replace a teacher, but it sure can help. If we can help our teachers by giving them spaces that allow them to collaborate and innovate, then we’ve succeeded.”

Alex Winslow, Hill Elementary parent

“In the new building, the classrooms are very spacious and it helps us concentrate. Because of all the different types of furniture, we can be comfortable while we work.”

Livio Wang, student at Hill Elementary

Additional thoughts from school principals about green building and connections to nature:

“Kids want to be outside. The daylight brings that natural feel indoors and creates classrooms where our students want to learn.”

“We watch the sunrise from the second floor window. It is a great way to connect our students to the natural world and to their own world of possibilities.”

“The flexible outdoor furniture helps teachers and students enjoy the reading labyrinth outside.”

USGBC Texas Spring 2022 Newsletter

Jonathan Kraatz — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 20:19:47 GMT

Texas is TOP 10 for LEED Green Building

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 14:02:00 GMT

From Heather Benjamin's The ranking highlights leaders in sustainable design, construction and operation of buildings in the U.S.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/infographic-top-10-states-leed-2020

"The recently announced 2020 Top 10 States for LEED list showcases the expansion of green building across the U.S., with Massachusetts ranking first in the nation for the highest gross square footage of LEED-certified space per person. Although the COVID-19 pandemic affected the building and construction industry in 2020, U.S. states still made sustainable, healthy buildings a priority, certifying over 400 million square feet of space to LEED standards.

Now in its 11th year, the annual list is based on the gross square footage of LEED-certified space added in each state over the past year, using 2010 U.S. Census data. It includes commercial and institutional green building projects that were certified in 2020. More than 60% of certifications across these states were earned for offices, education and health care projects. What's more impressive is that nearly half of all projects in the top 10 were certified as LEED Gold, showing a commitment to a high level of certification.

As the leader, Massachusetts certified 76 projects in 2020, representing 2.91 square feet of LEED-certified space per resident. The state has made the Top 10 list each year, but has not held the number one spot since 2017. Washington made the biggest jump, moving from outside the top 10 in 2019 to number two this past year. Other states that returned to the Top 10 list after falling off in 2019 were Texas and Nevada.

The benefits of LEED go beyond reduced water and energy usage, affecting the health and prosperity of entire communities. LEED-certified projects save money for families, businesses and taxpayers, in addition to reducing carbon and creating a healthier environment in which people can thrive. From an investor perspective, they are also a critical component of demonstrating progress against ESG commitments.

Through LEED certification, these states have demonstrated their commitment to the health and sustainability of their communities. Join us in celebrating their leadership—share your state’s ranking with your neighbors and colleagues on your Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts and use #Top10LEED."

Texas is TOP 10 for LEED Professionals

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 14:00:00 GMT

From Heather Benjamin's The ranking highlights the number of active LEED credential holders in the U.S.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/infographic-top-10-states-leed-professionals

"The recently announced 2020 Top 10 States for LEED Professionals showcases the growing body of LEED credential and certificate holders across the U.S., with California ranking first in the nation. Using their skills and expertise, LEED professionals support the sustainable transformation of buildings and the growth of a healthier, more equitable economy.

Accompanying the Top 10 States for LEED list for the first time, this new ranking is based on the current active numbers of LEED Green Associates, LEED APs and LEED Green Raters in each state. More than 100,000 LEED professionals live in these states, part of a global network of more than 204,000 professionals.

California's 26,906 green professionals brought the state to its number one ranking. New York follows at number two, with 12,575, and Texas rounds out the top three, with 10,474. Among this year's Top 10, Colorado has the distinction of the highest percentage of the population holding a LEED credential.

Through acquiring and maintaining LEED credentials, the professionals in these states have demonstrated their commitment to the health and sustainability of their communities. Join us in celebrating their leadership—share your state’s ranking with your neighbors and colleagues by tagging your Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts with #Top10LEED."

Summer 2020 Newsletter

Jonathan Kraatz — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 21:40:10 GMT

Summer 2020 Newsletter

UPDATED: USGBC Texas Chapter Events and COVID-19

Jonathan Kraatz — Sat, 02 May 2020 00:07:42 GMT

Friday, March 13, 2020

USGBC Texas is committed to the health of our members, event attendees, and our communities, and thus we are taking a cautious approach to resuming in-person activities as the state of Texas and local jurisdictions are lessening social distancing precautions.

We continue to monitor policy updates from local and state officials as well as the guidance provided by the CDC, WHO, and relevant Departments of Health, and event venues to make informed decisions.

In the meantime, please see the information below.

Chapter Events, Committee and Council meetings:

State and regional council and committee meetings will continue to be hosted remotely at least through the end of May (either via call-in or webinar).
All Chapter events will also be hosted virtually through the end of May as well.

We strongly encourage those ill and at higher risk to continue to stay home and we encourage everyone to follow general hygiene best practices.

We look forward to seeing you at a USGBC Texas events when possible.

USGBC Texas Spring 2020 Newsletter

Jonathan Kraatz — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 19:34:56 GMT

Please read our Spring Newsletter, and you will find information about upcoming events and other exciting news!

Find out about the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, EarthxVirtual Conferences, and other upcoming events and discussions.

Interested in being featured in the next issue? Email chapter@usgbctexas.org to share information about events, news updates, or other announcements.

Spring Newsletter

4th International Sustainable Building Symposium

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 19:08:46 GMT

INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SYMPOSIUM

On July 18-20 2019, green building experts from the United States, Turkey, and many other parts of the world gathered at the 4th International Sustainable Building Symposium hosted by Gazi University, Ankara University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, AIA Dallas and the USGBC Texas Chapter. The symposium featured a full schedule of seminars focused on innovative research and building programs.

On Thursday July 18, our very own Thom Powell, Vice Chair of the USGBC Texas Chapter North Region, spoke about green building in Texas and provided an overview of Green Building Progress in Dallas Fort Worth.

The USGBC Texas Chapter hosted Thursday's keynote session Design Innovation with Purpose. Gail Vittori and Pliny Fisk III, co-directors of the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, discussed their current research with the Center. This nonprofit focuses on a variety of areas outside of research alone including education and demonstration organization, specializing specifically in life cycle planning and design.

The USGBC Texas Chapter also showcased the Mobile Experience Center (MEC) educational trailer. This interactive booth allows visitors to walk through the exhibit and view several beneficial features of sustainable homes firsthand.

Several components of sustainability were explored in depth throughout each day of the symposium with a variety of presentations and many more speakers. Just a few of these topics included property design, urban ecosystems, renewable energy resources, land-use planning, and many more.

2019 USGBC Texas Leadership Awards

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 15:45:01 GMT

Texas Ranks 5th in U.S. for LEED Green Building in 2018

Jonathan Kraatz — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 20:15:27 GMT

Washington, D.C. — (Feb. 4, 2019) — Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its annual list of Top 10 States for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the world’s most widely used green building rating system. Texas came in at number five on the list, which ranks states based on the number of LEED-certified square feet per person. The growing adoption of LEED across the state propelled Texas into the top five in 2018.

“Over the past 25 years, the U.S. Green Building Council, its member companies and the green building community have come together to make our planet stronger, greener and more sustainable through LEED,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “These Top 10 states are examples of how we can create lasting, measurable change and improve the quality of life for everyone in our communities. A better future requires a universal living standard that leaves no one behind—and that future would simply not be possible without the extraordinary work being done in these states.”

The states that made this year’s Top 10 are home to 128 million American and the more than 1,800 buildings that certified in 2018 represent more than 468 million gross square feet of space. Buildings that are LEED-certified create healthier spaces for people, as well as use less energy and water, reduce carbon emissions and save money for families, businesses and taxpayers.

“Congratulations to all of our dedicated TEXAS organizations, who value so greatly the principles of LEED, SITES, PEER, et al.” said Scott Gerhardt, USGBC Texas Board Chair. “Congratulations especially to all of our TEXAS GBCI professionals and our USGBC Texas volunteers on this monumental achievement!”

Texas certified 277 green buildings in 2018, representing 3.52 gross square feet of LEED-certified space per resident. Notable projects that certified in Texas in 2018 include:

• Sea Star Base Galveston, LEED Platinum, a seaside facility designed to teach people of all ages, especially children, different tasks and skills in boating or water activities, while promoting environmental stewardship of the ocean;

• Austin Animal Center Kennel Addition, LEED Silver, which expands upon the existing LEED Gold “No Kill” animal center to meet the community’s growing pet adoption needs, and provides an additional 44 kennel spaces, as well as play yards and adoption rooms;

• Milby High School, LEED Silver, one of the first public high schools ever constructed in Houston, which maintained the original 1926 building structure during renovations, but incorporated modern and innovative design tactics to enhance students’ learning environments; and

• NASA Human Health & Performance Laboratory, LEED Silver, which is a human health and environmental sciences laboratory, think tank, inventors’ workshop, and outreach center designed to study human life on earth and in space.

“We’re proud that Texas has made it back into the Top 10 States list for 2018. We’ve done a lot to advance green building across the state, and are gearing up for another busy year to build upon our success and keep raising the bar for LEED in Texas,” said Rhiannon Jacobsen, vice president of strategic relationships at USGBC. “We hope that with LEED v4.1, the expertise of builders and developers, and the dedication of our USGBC members, we can continue to lead the growth of green building in the country in the coming year.”

“We’ve worked hard in Texas to make LEED and green buildings as accessible as possible for our communities, our local policymakers and our citizens,“ said Jonathan Kraatz, executive director of the USGBC Texas Chapter.

Now in its ninth year, the 2018 Top 10 States for LEED list is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects that earned LEED certification in 2018. The full rankings are as follows:

2018 Top 10 States for LEED

Rank	State	Gross Square Footage (GSF)	GSF Per Capita	Number of Certified Projects
1	IL*	68,133,942	5.31	172
2	MA*	34,718,212	5.3	122
3	WA	28,555,753	4.25	137
4	NY*	72,881,287	3.76	214
5	TX	88,404,993	3.52	277
6	CO*	17,042,295	3.39	114
7	HI*	4,504,287	3.31	20
8	VA*	25,348,631	3.17	136
9	CA*	112,388,968	3.02	521
10	MD*	16,869,680	2.92	113
**	DC	37,147,538	61.74	145

* Included in 2017 Top 10 States for LEED list
** Washington, D.C. is not ranked as it is a federal district, not a state

USGBC calculates the list using per capita figures to allow for a fair comparison of the level of green building taking place among states with significant differences in population and number of overall buildings. In the U.S., 2,886 commercial projects certified in 2018. Globally, there are currently more than 96,275 registered and certified LEED projects in 167 countries and regions around the world.

Recently, USGBC introduced LEED v4.1, the latest update to the rating system, and released beta versions for existing buildings (LEED v4.1 O+M), new construction (LEED v4.1 BD+C) and interiors (LEED v4.1 ID+C). LEED v4.1 emphasizes human health and integrates performance metrics using Arc to encourage ongoing tracking. Recent research shows green building will continue growing through 2021. Client demand remains the top reason to build green in the U.S. and occupant health and well-being emerged as the top social factor. Through LEED, USGBC pushes the market toward higher performing buildings that also improve quality of life.

The impact of buildings, cities and communities on people continues to be a priority for USGBC and across industries. In an effort to expand USGBC’s global green building efforts and ensure that LEED is not only the de facto leadership standard, but also the pre-eminent living standard, USGBC launched the Living Standard campaign at 2018’s Greenbuild in Chicago. Focused on the belief that storytelling can lead to a more sustainable world, the campaign aims to highlight stories – big and small – that capture how USGBC, LEED and other sustainability programs are raising the quality of life for people around the world. By visiting livingstandard.org, individuals and companies can join the campaign and submit stories.

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USGBC Texas Announces 2019 Regional Leaders

Jonathan Kraatz — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 18:29:54 GMT

The U.S. Green Building Council Texas Chapter (USGBC Texas) recently held its annual election to fill leadership positions in each of the Chapter’s five regions.

“I am excited about this year’s group of leaders elected across the state,” said Scott Gerhardt, chair of the USGBC Texas statewide board of directors. “They represent many sectors of our industry and bring a lot of energy and expertise to helping the Chapter meet our mission.”

USGBC Texas is a 501c(3) organization dedicated to green building in the state of Texas. It is the only nonprofit green building coalition in Texas that fosters the advancement of sustainability and green building to promote healthy buildings, people, and communities.

Transform the way buildings, homes, and communities are designed, built, maintained, and operated in Texas through outreach, education, advocacy, and partnerships, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life in Texas.

USGBC Texas comprises diverse stakeholders, including building industry professionals, educators, lawmakers, and community members. From our partnerships with industry and trade associations to our networking and educational events, we connect them in conversations about real solutions.

In each of the Chapter’s five regions, the Regional Council members – along with the statewide board of directors – set the direction for the Chapter’s day-to-day advocacy, outreach, and education programs. To get involved with your local region and some of the 100+ events across Texas each year, please visit the Chapter’s volunteer page: https://usgbctexas.org/VolunteerWithUs

The 2019 Regional Councils for USGBC Texas:
(newly elected or reelected members in bold)

Central Texas Region

Shaun Auckland, Travis County
Michelle Bale, Alchemy Builders
Cliff Braddock , METCO Engineering
Andrew Clements, GSC Architects
Bonny Gray, GSC Architects
Elizabeth Greenwood, Texas Solar Power Association
Kathryn Johansen, Interceramic
Ekta Khuller, STG Architects
Esther Rollins, Interceramic
Lisa Storer, Benz Resource Group
Allison Wilson, Ayers Saint Gross

Gulf Coast Region

Marina Badoian Kriticos, HARC
Thomas Brents, Rice University
Sean Green, Command Commissioning
Wendy Heger, Page
Caroline Kostak, RePurpose Depot
Lisa Lin, Rice University
E. Violet Mak, VAEarth
Tim Murray, EYP Architects & Engineers
Maria Perez, Gensler
Jamie Rogers, Paige 6 Imaging & Consulting
Megan Saunders, Maximum Sustainable Value
Stacy Shutts, NASA
Nelson Spitz, Enterprise Realty Group
Amanda Tullos, GreeNexus Consulting
Kapil Upadhyaya, Kirksey

North Texas Region

Debby Moore Baker, Moore Disposal & Recycling
Mike Brown, Beck Group
Mary Dickinson, Perkins + Will
Katie Diedrich, Turner Construction
Susan Flanagan, Solatube
Sylvia Golisano, Granite Properties
Draoun Johns, WDG Architecture – Dallas
Brandon Kenney, University of Dallas
Norma Lehman, Beck Group
Tricia Loe, Sustainable Concepts
Anthony Martin, Trane
Marc Migliazzo, EIS Lighting
James Ware, James Ware Architect

South Texas Region

Michael Britt, Lake|Flato
Mario Bravo, Environmental Defense Fund
Jackie Chang, DBR Engineers
James Eckart, Ward, Getz + Associates
Juan Fernandez, CVF Homes
Adam W. Gates, Adam Word Gates Architect
Larry Graf, DRG Architects/G5 Homes
Meredith Miller, Eco Centro – Alamo Colleges
Sandra Montalbo, Overland Partners
Sam Poland, DHR Architects

West Texas Region

Lauren Baldwin, Creosote Collaborative
Javier Camacho, El Paso Electric
Jenny Hernandez, City of El Paso
Andrea Zamora Kerr, Alzheimer’s Association
Robert Palacios, Borderplex Alliance
Alexandra Riccillo, Quantum Engineering
Joe Riccillo, Sundt

2018 Austin Green Awards Awardees

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 03:34:35 GMT

The Austin Green Awards is a program that recognizes accomplishments in sustainable design and innovation. On October 24th, the Austin Green Awards Celebration announced eight Awardees of the 2018 Austin Green Awards:

Project of the Year: Austin Central Library, submitted by Lake | Flato Architects; Owner: City of Austin.
Blue Hole Regional Park, submitted by Design Workshop; Owner: City of Wimberley.
Lost Pines Art Center, submitted by Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture; Owner: Lost Pines Art League.
Oracle Waterfront Campus, submitted by STG Design, Inc.; Owner: Oracle.
B-Austin Community Project, submitted by Clark|Richardson Architects.; Owner: SAMdorosa Communities, LLC.
Net Zero Retreat, submitted by Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture.; Owner: Louisa and Joel Thollander.
Sustainable Food Center, submitted by Dick Clark + Associates.; Owner: Sustainable Food Center.
Alligator Creek Prairie Preserve, submitted by Forsite Studio.; Owner: Nancy Webber.

For more information, check out Austin Green Awards!

GSC 40th Anniversary Event

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 03:01:09 GMT

GSC Architects (www.gscarchitects.com) has generously hosted the USGBC Central Texas office for eight years. This October the firm celebrated their 40^th anniversary. Established in 1978 as Graeber, Simmons & Cowan, GSC has always been a committed member of the Central Texas community. The firm is particularly known for work on high-tech and education projects, with a definite emphasis on designing and sustainable building. USGBC Texas chair Scott Gerhardt, Board member Jane Baxter Lynn, and Central Texas region co-chair Lisa Storer attended the party, which was held at 410 Congress. Originally the Southwestern Telephone and Telegraph building, 410 Congress was completely redesigned in a creative way.

Check out the celebration for yourself!

METROCON18 Expo & Conference: A Sweet Success in its 16th Year

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 02:08:19 GMT

Author: Laura McDonald Stewart, RID, FASID, IIDA, LEED AP - METROCON Show Manager

If you were not at Dallas Market Hall on August 9 & 10, then you missed out on an amazing opportunity to learn from and connect with 2,200+ members of the built environment representing 1,065 companies.

The event, which is the largest not-for-profit, self-produced, volunteer-driven, design specification-focused regional expo and conference in the USA, celebrated 16 years of industry collaboration and attracted 55 event sponsors, more than any other year in the event’s history.

For the second year in a row, the USGBC Texas Chapter joined forces with four other associations to plan and execute a more expansive event for members and beyond: (in alphabetical order) ASID Texas Chapter, ASID Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, CSI Dallas Chapter, and NEWH Dallas Chapter.

METROCON18 showcased 160 Exhibitors representing 211 manufacturers, service providers, and organizations representing all practice areas and market segments, and it attracted interior designers, architects, specifiers, facility managers, students, and a myriad of other essential design industry members from Texas, Oklahoma, and 22 other states across the USA.

METROCON18 brought together interior designers, architects, facility managers, students, and a myriad of other essential design industry members representing 1,065 companies.

ESSENTIAL & EXCITING EDUCATION

This year’s conference delivered 51 hours of premium programming on timely topics presented by 62 industry experts. Offerings included two Seminars, two Student Programs, five tours, a Keynote that doubled as a CEU, and 40 other continuing education courses. All CEUs were IDCEC-approved and qualified as CEPHs to meet requirements for Registered Interior Designers and Architects for the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, and many also were approved by AIA, EDAC, and GBCI.

Keynote Address: Sustainability champion Steve Glenn delivered the keynote address. An über entrepreneur, he is the Founder & Managing Director of LivingHomes and the CEO of Plant Prefab, companies that work together to design and develop modern, prefabricated homes that combine world-class architecture with an unparalleled commitment to healthy and sustainable construction. Glenn discussed the opportunities and challenges of prefabrication and the strategies he uses to create LEED Platinum level homes for all strata of society.

Keynote Speaker Steve Glenn of LivingHomes and Plant Prefab spoke about his commitment to healthy and sustainable construction.

Continuing Education: Although many CEUs received rave reviews, two courses that proved popular with this year’s audience were:

“Dare to Strive for Market Transformation: The Future of Material Health & Transparency” presented by Mary Dickinson, RID, Assoc. AIA, LEED BD+C, a Regional Sustainable Design Leader and Co-Director of the Perkins+Will Material Performance Lab.
“2018 IBC: Important Changes to Come!” presented by Warren Bonisch, P.E., an Associate Principal of Fire Protection w/ WJE Fire Protection.

STANDOUT SUPPORTERS

The planning Committee wholeheartedly thanks Landmark Sponsor Dallas Market Center, Media Sponsor Modern Luxury Interiors Texas, and the 53 other METROCON18 Sponsors, as well as all of this year’s Exhibitors, for their incredible support. Some Exhibitors stood out among the rest. Congratulations to the recipients of the 2018 Pegasus Exhibitor Awards!

Best of the Best Award – WAC Lighting / Modern Forms
Lean & Green Award – Urban Woods Company
Allstar Award – TreeHouse / Dunn Edwards
Sizzle Award – Empressive GeoDesigns
Instagram-Worthy Award – LDF Silk
Mission Award – ASID Texas / ASID Texas Gulf Coast Chapters

Keynote Speaker Steve Glenn of LivingHomes and Plant Prefab spoke about his commitment to healthy and sustainable construction.

NEW IDEAS

From a more open trade show floor plan with expanded visibility to an altered show schedule to benefit both attendees and exhibitors, METROCON implemented many new ideas based on last year’s post-show survey feedback.

Design Charrette: We hosted our first charrette at this year’s event. We reached out to regional interior design and architecture programs, asking them to nominate up to four students to participate in this invitation-only opportunity. Three teams were recognized, with each member of the 1st Place team receiving a $250 Gift Card for school supplies. Congratulations to the winning team [Team 4] made up of the following students:

Allison Ray – El Centro College
Beatriz Perez – Texas State University
Shane Smith – University of North Texas

Team 4 representing El Centro College, Texas State University, and the University of North Texas won 1^st Place in METROCON’s inaugural Design Charrette.

Community Involvement: As this is the Year of the Dog, it inspired us to work with non-profit organization Straydog, a no-kill dog shelter and sanctuary in the Dallas area. Their primary mission was to raise awareness about the important work they do and encourage the adoption of dogs looking for safe and loving homes. However, we were happy to help them with their second mission: seeking resources to construct a new building to serve dogs in need. (This new collaboration got the attention of Dallas television channel The CW33, who joined us the first day of the show and ran a short segment on their 9:00 PM news hour that evening.) If you are interested in donating services, time, products and/or money to help Straydog’s cause, contact them directly through their website, Straydog.org

PLAN NOW TO BE A PART OF METROCON19!

Mark your calendar now: METROCON19 Expo & Conference will take place in Dallas on August 8 & 9, 2019. Visit metroconexpo.org to find links to view photos and statistics from this year’s show and to sign up to receive notifications to stay informed about attending, presenting, sponsoring, and exhibiting at next year’s event!

Metrocon18 Expo & Conference Opens Registration

Jonathan Kraatz — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:05:52 GMT

METROCON18 Registration Open

USGBC Texas is again partnering with ASID Texas, ASID Texas Gulf Coast, CSI Dallas, and NEWH Dallas Chapters to bring our region’s built environment community together for education, collaboration, resources and networking.

This year’s event offers 41 HSW CE Courses, all of which are IDCEC approved, with 10 EDAC approved, 13 GBCI approved, and 17 AIA approved. Topics include “The Energy & WELLness Nexus” presented by Michael Brown, E.I.T., C.E.M., LEED AP BD+C, “The 10-Year Journey of a Sustainable Home from Dreams to Reality” presented by Alfred Vidaurri Jr., FAIA, NCARB, AICP, LEED BD+C, and “Incorporating Health and Wellness Into Our Design Projects” presented by Chris Mundell, LEED Fellow, AIA, CSI, CDT, LEED AP BD+C & Denise Bates, RID, IIDA, CDT, LEED AP BD+C.

Don’t miss the Keynote Address “High Design, Low Impact: Building LivingHomes” presented by Steve Glenn, the CEO of Plant Prefab, Inc. and the Founder & Managing Director of LivingHomes, a designer and developer of modern, prefabricated homes that combine world-class architecture with an unparalleled commitment to healthy and sustainable construction. The first LivingHome, designed by Ray Kappe, FAIA, was installed in eight hours. It became the first residence ever to receive a LEED for Homes Platinum rating.

Attendee registration is now open, and USGBC Members may take an unlimited amount of continuing education for only $75, adding the Keynote for just $20. Anyone may attend the trade show at no cost as long as they register online by August 3rd.

Exhibit booths are still available for purchase.

Find out more about attending, exhibiting, and registering at www.metroconexpo.org.

VOLUNTEER for EARTHx 2018

Jonathan Kraatz — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 17:35:39 GMT

EARTHx 2018
FRIDAY, APRIL 20-22, 2018
Fair Park, 1121 First Ave, Dallas, Texas

About EARTHx
This three-day free event is held in April to celebrate progress, hope, and innovation and is the largest event in the world of its kind. EARTHx, formerly Earth Day Texas, brings together environmental organizations, businesses, academic institutions, government agencies, speakers, interactive programming, and subject matter experts along with live music and sustainable beer and food pavilions. EARTHx creates a fun and engaging atmosphere for thought and experiential learning while encouraging attendees to be the change they wish to see in the world.

USGBC Texas is searching for several volunteers to help us staff the Mobile Experience Center and assist attendees through the walkthrough, answer any questions, and collect information. The event shifts are 3 hours long beginning at 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM, with the goal of having 4 volunteers per shift. This is a great opportunity for students to receive an introduction into green building, our members to give back to the Chapter, or anyone looking to get involved this Earth Day. We want to inspire, educate, activate, connect, and create demand and jobs for green building and sustainable living. By providing clear, concise, and objective information to the community, we hope to convey the many benefits of building, retrofitting, operating, and living sustainably. From easy, no cost steps for making your home healthier and high performing to full blown net zero and learning about green infrastructure throughout Texas, there is something for everyone!

Volunteer HERE.

USGBC CEO Mahesh Ramanujam says Texas is a frontrunner in green building globally

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 20:48:29 GMT

Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI), presented USGBC and GBCI's global vision and the future of the green building industry on March 27th in Austin, TX. Texas is one of the frontrunners in LEED throughout the world, with a current LEED total of 960 million square feet. Ramanujam challenges Texas to be the first state to reach a square footage of 1 billion, saying, “Green building in general and certifications like LEED are proving to be an economic driver that delivers environmental value.” LEED certified buildings are proven to consume 25% less energy and 11% less waste, while having 34% lower carbon dioxide emissions and diverting over 80 million tons of waste from landfills. With the idea that “partnership is the new leadership,” Ramanujam spoke about the next step for LEED: version 4.1. He presents LEED v4.1 as a set of upgrades that will enhance our standards, promote leadership, and make LEED more user-friendly, more accessible, and more collaborative. Ramanujam points out that the focus for LEED v4.1 is on existing buildings operations and maintenance. USGBC Texas is proud to have such a passionate leader!

What's in a Healthy Building?

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:00:00 GMT

What’s in a Healthy Building?
By Tricia Loe

Have you ever thought about how you could make your workplace healthier?

Several DFW businesses are actively trying to create a workplace that supports their employees’ health by pursuing the WELL Building Standard. The WELL Building Standard is a rating system for the health and well-being of the human beings who occupy the building.

WELL includes some features that are part of the building design, like healthy air and water quality, light levels, and natural light. Comfort is another part of the WELL building standard, encouraging desks that change heights to encourage more movement, and ergonomic seating.

The WELL Building Standard helps architects, engineers, and owners create a healthy workspace. But the WELL Building Standard goes beyond the building and into the way the building is used. It encourages exercise, healthy food and beverages, and peace of mind at the work place.

For the WELL projects that I’m working on, the way these things are implemented can vary greatly with different types of businesses. At one downtown office, employees can workout for free at the building’s fitness center. On the other hand, GoodWork coworking space encourages fitness by offering regular classes like yoga or Zumba. Both workplaces have shower and dressing facilities for when it’s time to get back to work.

There are many more ways that your office can encourage a healthy lifestyle, like limiting the hours emails can be sent, and healthy travel policies.

The statistics say that humans spend 90% of our time indoors, which that means buildings are our habitat. We all need a healthy habitat! So think about it – what would it take to make your workplace healthier?

And if you want to know how the WELL Building Standard could make your workplace healthier, check out the rating system at WELLCertified.com.

Tricia Loe, LEED AP BD+C; LEED AP ID+C; WELL AP
www.sustainableconceptsllc.com
@tricialoe

Executive Director's End of Year Address

Fri, 22 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT

At this time of year, many of us are reflecting back on the year that was, and some – myself included – cannot imagine where 2017 went. That said, the USGBC Texas Chapter had a very busy and successful year working towards our Mission:

To transform the way buildings, homes and communities are designed, built, maintained and operated in Texas through outreach, education, advocacy and partnerships, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life in Texas.

To that end, more than 100 conferences, education sessions (offering more than 80 hours of continuing education) and networking events were coordinated across Texas in 2017 with more than 4,300 attendees. These events range from community building activities on school campuses, professional networking opportunities, and conferences and education sessions that covered many topics from daylighting and views, materials transparency, water conservation, and building energy reduction.

Using USGBC’s LEED rating systems as a measure of progress, we are making an impact with more than 185 commercial projects certified in 2017 totaling more than 38 million square feet. Our successes with these programs can be measured on a global scale, and if Texas were a country (again), we would rank 4^th internationally in LEED Square footage behind the United States, China, and Canada!

With the Texas Legislature meeting earlier this year, a number of our volunteers spent countless hours at the state Capitol in Austin with our Advocacy efforts. This session one key focus for the Chapter was Green Schools and the creation of a bipartisan Green Schools Caucus. The Green Schools Caucus members, led by chair J.M. Lozano (R-Kingsville), helped to pass House Resolution 2090 recognizing the importance of Green Schools to the future of Texas. These efforts continue through interim charges from the Speaker of the House to several committees: public education, higher education and urban affairs. Read more about our current and past efforts via our Narrative of Priorities and the Legislative Agenda.

Advocacy team with Chairman Lozano of the Committee on Higher Education and Chair of the Green Schools Caucus, pictured in the House of Representatives after the reading of House Resolution 2090 in support of green schools on May 18, 2017.

As you can see, our Chapter is filled with members who are passionate about green buildings and changing the built environment through public advocacy, education, and engagement with decision-makers across Texas and our 5 Chapter Regions.

All of this is not possible without your support of the Chapter community’s activities. Your donations and membership dues support our efforts in Advocacy, Community Outreach and Industry Education along with the staffing and logistical support to deliver this programming. YOU make our Mission happen!

Make a Contribution

Being a Chapter member allows you to be part of this vibrant, driven group and build your knowledge, network, and community! Please update your Chapter profile here to make sure you don’t miss any of our upcoming opportunities.

Looking ahead, the Chapter is kicking off 2018 with the Mobile Experience Center at a STEM Expo with Dallas ISD. Other first quarter activities include tours of manufacturing and recycling facilities, training on the WELL rating system, in-depth exploration of approaches to meet LEED v4 requirements, and public outreach around infrastructure and resilience.

There are many ways to get involved in your community. Our Regional leaders would love to hear about your green building successes and how you want to get involved. Please feel free to contact your Regional leadership with the information below:

North Texas: northtexas@usgbctexas.org
Gulf Coast: gulfcoast@usgbctexas.org
Central Texas: centraltexas@usgbctexas.org
South Texas: southtexas@usgbctexas.org
West Texas: westtexas@usgbctexas.org

Thank you for being a member of the Texas Green Building community and for your support of USGBC Texas – both now and in the future.

Best Regards,

Jonathan Kraatz
Executive Director, USGBC Texas Chapter

DFW Business Leaders to Congress: Act on Climate

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 14:00:00 GMT

DFW Business Leaders to Congress: Act on Climate
By Ann Drumm and Larry Howe

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

North Texas business leaders, seeing the economic risks that climate change poses to our region, are pressing Congress for action. They want a price on CO₂: a market signal that will create economic opportunities, reduce pollution, improve health, and strengthen security. This step is critical to mitigating climate risks and preserving our vibrant regional economy.

While many businesses have taken measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, long payback periods reduce the incentive to make some important investments. The existing market signal is driving progress, but not at the pace required to drive down the emissions curve fast enough. We need a stronger market signal.

Many North Texas business leaders agree that a price on CO₂ is the right policy response, and they are communicating that support to Congress through a campaign coordinated by Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL). Your support can help persuade Congress to Act on Climate!

CCL’s market-based proposal has three elements: (1) a gradually rising, predictable, national fee on oil, gas and coal, based on their relative CO₂ content; (2) return of the revenue generated by the fee to U.S. households on a per capita basis; and (3) a border adjustment to protect U.S. businesses and motivate other countries to price CO₂.

Pricing CO₂ serves sustainability goals, which is good for business. According to Garrett Boone, Container Store co-founder, the businesses that chart a pathway to sustainability will be the competitive winners in the years ahead. “Ray Anderson, CEO and founder of Interface, proved that a company's wholehearted commitment to sustainability - eliminating waste by maximizing efficiency, using renewable energy, recycling products, eliminating toxic materials, and employing design and technology based upon nature - is a prescription for business success, greater profitability and market share, improved employee morale, shareholder enthusiasm, and customer loyalty.”

By implementing this revenue-neutral fee, Congress can strengthen the incentive for businesses to take these steps. Pricing CO₂ will create jobs for North Texans, increase GDP, improve our health and strengthen our national security.

Members of Congress need to hear that acting on climate is important to their constituents, so CCL’s North Texas volunteers are coordinating a Leaders’ Letter campaign and a Business Roundtable event next spring. The Roundtable will be a forum for private sector leaders to talk about the progress they have made toward sustainability in their operations, the importance of it to their business cultures, and the steps they are ready to take when the right market signal is in place.

The Leaders’ Letter to Congress asks North Texas members of the U.S. House to take specific actions on climate: (1) become a co-sponsor of H.Res.195, “Expressing the commitment of the House of Representatives to conservative environmental stewardship” (which currently has 23 Republican sponsors); (2) join the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus (currently at 31 Republicans and 31 Democrats); and (3) help advance a bill to price greenhouse gas emissions.

Learn how your business can support this effort! Contact us at NTX-BCL @citizensclimatelobby.org.

Larry Howe and Ann Drumm are volunteers in Plano and Dallas for CCL, a nonpartisan grassroots organization with over 440 chapters.

USGBC Texas Celebrates Two New LEED Fellows

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 13:00:00 GMT

USGBC Texas Celebrates Two New LEED Fellows

LEED Fellows are best-in-class for green building design, engineering and development

GBCI has announced its 2017 class of LEED Fellows, an annual recognition of outstanding LEED professionals. This year’s 23 LEED Fellows exemplify a diverse array of achievements and contributions to the green building community and LEED, the world’s most widely used green building rating system.

“LEED would not have grown from an idea to a movement that spans the globe without the leadership and innovative thinking of the dynamic professionals that make up this class of LEED Fellows,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of GBCI and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “The contributions, work and ideas of these individuals plays a significant role in propelling the green building movement forward while helping to continue to advance our mission of green buildings for all within this generation.”

USGBC Texas is proud to recognize two of our very own Chapter leaders who have joined the ranks of this prestigious group, Chris Mundell and Heather Holdridge.

Chris Mundell, North Texas

“We are honored and proud to have Chris Mundell as one of this year’s LEED Fellows,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of GBCI and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “Chris has shown superb leadership as a green building advocate and has continued to help shift the norm of how the industry plans and builds sustainably. His work and credibility in the industry has been proven time and time again by his outstanding leadership in the green building movement, and motivates all of us to continue the charge forward in creating sustainable, healthy and connected communities through the built environment.”

About Chris Mundell
Chris has been involved in a variety of architecture projects for the past 20 years, ranging from healthcare, commercial, educational and multifamily residential clients. Currently at Gensler, he wears multiple hats including being a Senior Project Manager, a Community-Flex Studio Operations Leader and a South Central Region Design Resilience Leader. He has also managed the sustainability services for 12 LEED certified projects, including two platinum certified for the UNT Apogee Stadium and HKS Headquarters.

He is also actively involved in the local chapters of AIA, CSI, and USGBC. Chris is the past Chair of the USGBC Texas North Region Council, serves on the 2030 Dallas District Leadership Council and a past-president for the CSI Dallas Chapter.

Heather Holdridge, South Texas

About Heather Holdridge
Heather is the Sustainability Director at Lake|Flato Architects. Leveraging her mechanical engineering backround, she directs all Lake|Flato teams in establishing and achieving sustainbility goals by devising strategies and systems under programs such as LEED, the 2030 Challenge, and the Living Building Challenge. Heather works closely with teams to evaluate passive systems and performs energy modeling throughout the design process.

As an active Board Member for USGBC, Heather has been instrumental in establishing LEED standards and is Co-Chair of the San Antonio AIA Committee on the Environment.

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The LEED Fellow program was established in 2011 to honor LEED professionals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in key mastery elements of LEED certification and significant contributions in teaching, mentoring or research with other industry professionals. LEED Fellows also have a strong history of highly impactful commitment, service and advocacy for green building and sustainability.

LEED Fellows are nominated by their peers and must have at least 10 years of exceptional impact in the green building industry and hold a LEED AP with specialty credential, among other requirements. The evaluation process includes extensive portfolio review and is carried out by the LEED Fellow Evaluation Committee and supported by GBCI.

The recipients will be honored at the 2017 USGBC Leadership Awards Luncheon at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo taking place Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017 in Boston. The nomination period for the 2018 LEED Fellows class will open in February 2018. For more information about the LEED Fellow program and LEED credentialing, visit usgbc.org/credentials.

Recap: High Performance Schools Summit

Fri, 06 Oct 2017 13:00:00 GMT

Recap: High Performance Schools Summit
by Caroline Kostak

The High Performance Schools Summit was held on Thursday, September 28 to gather together stakeholders interested in developing high performance schools in Texas. In light of recent events, the summit also addressed the incorporation of resiliency strategies into school buildings to allow them to perform as community resources in the event of emergencies, as well as being important community hubs during non-emergency times.

The event kicked off with a Keynote from the City of Houston Education Director, Juliet Stipeche, who shared her recent experience of school buildings as "Shelters of Last Resort," as seen during Hurricane Harvey when districts all over Houston opened up their facilities to support their community members in need. She also discussed the importance of school buildings to the success of students and how healthy, inspiring buildings can play a key role in providing social equality to economically disadvantaged students.

Following Ms. Stipeche was Mike Dieterich, an environmental scientist with extensive experience working with DC Public Schools to turn their school buildings around from some of the worst in the country to some of the best, all while saving millions of dollars in operating costs. We also heard from a panel of architects at Gensler, Kirksey, and Rogers who reviewed case studies of projects that have saved taxpayer dollars while providing inspiring and healthy community resources in which students can thrive.

The event wrapped up with a Keynote from Anisa Heming, the Director for the Center for Green Schools. Ms. Heming first began working with the USGBC in New Orleans after Katrina, tasked with coordinating the LEED efforts of the Recovery School District. Her experience working with multiple stakeholders and a wide array of projects to incorporate green building and resiliency strategies into rebuilding efforts were timely and inspiring.

In all, the Summit provided a venue for interested parties to come together around common goals, network, and learn more about high performance schools. The conversation will continue through the Green Schools Leadership Coalition being developed. The first meeting of the coalition will be on October 31, from 11-12:30 at a TBD location. The meeting will also be webcast. Please visit www.txgreenschools.org for up-to-date information and to join the Leadership Coalition. We are seeking membership from many stakeholders: school district administration and school boards, educators, curriculum developers, architects, engineers, energy managers, legislators, associations (A4LE, TEMA, ASHRAE, TASA, TASB, etc) and more. Please contact caroline.kostak@gmail.com with any questions.

USGBC Members Learn, Network & do Business at METROCON17 Expo & Conference

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 13:00:00 GMT

USGBC Members Learn, Network & do Business at METROCON17 Expo & Conference
by Laura McDonald Stewart

On August 10th & 11th, Dallas Market Hall buzzed with interior designers, architects, specifiers, facility managers, real estate professionals, design students and other essential industry members catering to the built environment when it hosted METROCON17 Expo & Conference.

The event, which is the largest not-for-profit, self-produced, volunteer-driven, design specification-focused regional expo and conference in the USA, attracted individuals from 35 states besides Texas, as well as four Canadian provinces.

This year marks the event’s 15^th anniversary, which the Committee of 22 dedicated volunteers celebrated, along with two other milestones:

For the first time, five associations joined forces to plan a more expansive event for their members and beyond. The USGBC Texas Chapter was proud to join (in alphabetical order) the ASID Texas Chapter, the ASID Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, the CSI Dallas Chapter, and the NEWH Dallas Chapter to execute this career- and business-building event.
Companies secured 53 event sponsorships, more than any other year in the event’s history.

The METROCON17 Trade Show Floor

METROCON Highlighted the Need for Industry Collaboration

With the five partnering associations working together to create such a valuable opportunity for the region, METROCON is symbolic of what is happening with the industry in terms of the increasing need for multi-disciplinary collaboration within the built environment.

To emphasize this growing trend, METROCON brought in five distinguished national leaders of the participating organizations for a topical discussion. ASID CEO Randy Fiser led the innovative CEU Panel Discussion “Raising the Industry Profile: A Conversation with Leaders,” which included the following:

Rhiannon Jacobsen (Washington, DC): Vice President of Strategic Relationships – USGBC
Charrisse Johnston, ASID, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C (Los Angeles, CA): Principal – Steinberg Architects | National Chair of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers)
Dennis Hall, FAIA, FCSI (Charlotte, NC): CEO – HALL a/e/c PA | Past President of CSI (Construction Specifications Institute)
Trisha Poole (Winter Park, FL): President – Design Poole, Inc. | President of NEWH, Inc. (The Hospitality Industry Network)

The panelists discussed how the increasing levels of project complexity and expanding technological tools, as well as concerns of sustainability, resiliency, and wellness, are all driving our industry towards deeper cooperation within all market sectors.

CEU panel discussion “Raising the Industry Profile”: (l to r) Rhiannon Jacobsen, Trisha Poole, Dennis Hall, Charrisse Johnston, Randy Fiser

The Conference Featured Top-Tier Programming

Headlining as this year’s Keynote Speakers were Sandy Chilewich and Joe Sultan, partners in life, work, and innovation, and the dynamic duo behind the global company Chilewich | Sultan LLC based in New York City. For the first time ever, Sandy and Joe took the stage together to share the ups and downs of building and maintaining a successful manufacturing business, as well as the real challenges of working with one’s spouse. Their candid comments were refreshing, inspiring, and extremely entertaining.

Keynote Speakers Sandy Chilewich & Joe Sultan

USGBC Texas put together the well-received CE course “From Pitch to Payoff,” which profiled projects from multiple industry segments, all of which were LEED certified and/or had significant sustainable features. Moderated by USGBC Texas Executive Director Jonathan Kraatz, the session featured the following distinguished panelists:

Charlene Heydinger – President of Texas PACE Authority
Brent Jackson – Founder & President of Oaxaca Interests, LLC
Kirk Johnson, AIA, LEED Fellow – Senior Association with Corgan

CEU panel discussion “From Pitch to Payoff”: (l to r) Brent Jackson, Kirk Johnson, Charlene Heydinger, Jonathan Kraatz

Three diverse Seminars informed audiences of sales and facility professionals, manufacturer and dealer representatives, students, and practitioners:

“Introduction to The WELL Building Standard”: Corgan’s Caroline Compton, WELL AP, RID, explained how this performance-based rating system marries best practices in design and construction with positive behavioral aspects that have been proven to increase productivity, health, employee satisfaction, and employee retention.

“Design Dish”: Five restaurant designers – William Baker w/ Jones Baker, Miguel Vincens & John Paul Valverde w/ Coeval Studio, and Royce Ring & Alex Urrunaga w/ planBgroup – discussed how they are maximizing the consumer appeal, operational efficiency and success of F&B concepts. They shared upcoming design previews, as well as their viewpoints on the new regional restaurant trends and why some concepts do not have the longevity to stick around.

“How to Navigate the FF&E Process – Conceptual Design to Installation, the Players and their Roles”: This panel discussion featured a senior interior designer (Kenda Draper, ASID, RID, LEED AP ID+C w/ SmithGroupJJR), a designer with a university (Stephanie Andrus w/ Texas Women’s University), a dealer project manager (Lynn Meeker w/ Wilson Office Interiors), and a furniture representative (Sonya Odell, FASID, RID w/ The Ginger Grant Group), who collectively explained how to get the best project from the initial design concepts to the final move-in.

METROCON17 also featured 45 CE courses over two days covering a wide array of topics applicable to various design practice areas. All CE courses were cumulatively reviewed and approved by IDCEC, 21 were AIA-approved, 17 GBCI-approved, 14 EDAC-approved, and 41 hours had HSW content to meet TBAE CE requirements for Registered Interior Designers & Registered Architects in Texas.

Attendees Benefited from a Diverse Trade Show

Manufacturers, fabricators and service providers catering to the education, healthcare, hospitality, institutional, multifamily, residential, retail, and workplace design sectors filled 36,000+ SF of exhibit space, showing and/or sponsoring under 277 names, 90+ of which were not on last year’s list.

Types of products and services exhibited, which can be continued to be referenced on our Interactive Floorplan, ranged from coatings, ceilings, decking, plaster, wallcovering, doors and windows to carpet, resilient flooring, tile, natural and engineered stone, fabric, furniture, wood flooring, window treatments, and solar control solutions, as well as art, lighting, signage, acoustical solutions, systems integration, metal fabrication, electrical controls, and consulting engineering solutions.

We enthusiastically thank Landmark Sponsor STAPLES Business Advantage, Media Sponsor Modern Luxury Interiors Texas, and the 51 other METROCON17 Sponsors for their incredible support.

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2017 Pegasus Exhibitor Awards!

Best of the Best Award – ENSO Fabrication [ensofab.com]
Lean & Green Award – WoodCo [woodco.com]
Sizzle Award – Anzea / KSM Design Source [anzea.com / ksmdesignsource.com]
Allstar Award – ENSO Fabrication [ensofab.com]

ENSO Fabrication, Winners of both the “Best of the Best” and the “Allstar” Pegasus Awards for Exhibitors

Many thanks to USGBC Member Mary Dickinson, Assoc. AIA, RID, LEED AP BD+C, for devoting several hours during the show to be the USGBC representative on the Pegasus Exhibitor Awards judging team, and kudos to the many chapter volunteers who manned the USGBC Texas Mobile Experience Center, which was a big hit on the trade show floor.

Cheers to the following 2017 Booth Bingo Winners, each of whom received a $100 American Express Gift Card in the mail after the show:

Pat Brewer of Houston
Jamie Martin of Dallas

It Took a Village to Make METROCON17 Happen

As the Show Manager, I cannot thank the 2017 Committee enough for their time, effort and dedication to make this labor of love so successful for the entire region. USGBC Texas contributed two outstanding committee representatives, as well as two additional leaders who worked hard throughout the planning year:

Susan Flanagan, LEED AP ID+C – 2017 Asst. Program Coordinator
Jonathan Kraatz – USGBC Texas Executive Director
Tricia Loe, LEED AP BD+C, LEED AP ID+C, WELL AP – 2017 Asst. CE Coordinator
Stacia Pease, LEED AP – USGBC Texas North TX Regional Chair

Please join me in also expressing gratitude to the 20 additional Committee members who worked throughout the last year to plan and promote this landmark collaborative event (listed in alphabetical order by last name):

Nick Cimms, PMP – Program Coordinator
Melinda Crouch, ASID IP Representative – Volunteer Coordinator
Lisa DiOnne, Associate IIDA, LEED AP ID+C – Site & Logistics Chair
Kenda Draper, ASID, RID, LEED AP ID+C – Co-Chair Elect
John DuBard, IIDA, CHID, LEED AP – Presiding Chair
Stacy Elliston, IIDA, LEED AP, RID – Asst. Ambassador Liaison
Courtney Engberg-Hulse, ASID IP Representative – Asst. Site & Logistics Chair
Dianne Etheredge, ASID, RID – Asst. Sponsor Liaison
Theresa Harrison, ASID IP Representative – Asst. Volunteer Coordinator
Allen Hart, ASID, RID – Past Presiding Chair
Isin King, Allied ASID – Asst. Exhibitor Liaison
Annette Mallard, ASID, RID – Co-Chair
Bruce McClure, RA – Asst. Program Coordinator
Dennis McNabb, FASID – Asst. Ambassador Liaison
Jose Montoya, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, ID+C, O+M – Ambassador Liaison
Rachel Polk, CSI – Asst. CE Coordinator
Brenda Reber, Industry IIDA – CE Coordinator
Rosemarie René, ASID, RID – Sponsor Liaison
Dana Smith, Affiliate IIDA – Exhibitor Liaison
Sharon Staley, FASID, RID – Asst. Sponsor Liaison

The Committee and I also want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the many volunteers who donated their time on-site during the show to assemble attendee tote bags and speaker gift bags, guide attendees, introduce speakers, and monitor CE courses. This event could absolutely not happen without you!

METROCON17 Benefits Our Industry

We were thrilled to present the METROCON17 Keynote Award honoring Keynote Speakers Sandy Chilewich and Joe Sultan of Chilewich | Sultan LLC. On their behalf, Metrocon, Inc. has donated $1,000 to the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), whose mission is the advancement of interior design education, scholarship, and service. IDEC President-Elect Hepi Wachter, ASID, CAPS, LEED AP, and IDEC Southwest Regional Chair Kristi Gaines, PhD, IIDA, Allied ASID, gladly accepted on IDEC’s behalf.

Additionally, any income from this year’s event will go to the Committee members’ respective built environment organizations to fund valuable programming and scholarships or to those organizations’ respective foundations and designated charities.

DO NOT MISS METROCON18!

Put it on your calendar now: METROCON18 Expo & Conference will take place back in Dallas on August 9 & 10, 2018. Visit metrocon.info to find links to view photos from this year’s show and to sign up to receive notifications to stay informed about attending and/or presenting, sponsoring, and exhibiting at next year’s show. See you there!

PACE Across Texas

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 13:00:00 GMT

PACE Across Texas
by Charlene Heydinger

Across Texas, a voluntary program is being implemented that helps improve the environment, creates jobs and saves Texans money on their utility bills. Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) is a proven, accessible financial tool that enables Texas building owners to upgrade facility infrastructure with little or no upfront capital outlay. The program is designed so that building owners lower their operating costs and, with the savings generated, pay for eligible water, energy efficiency and distributed generation improvements by taking advantage of affordable, long-term financing. Owners see immediate savings on utility bills by investing in efficiency or generation upgrades, and are cash-flow positive upon completion of the work.

C-PACE can be used to pay for new heating and cooling systems, lighting improvements, solar panels, water pumps, insulation and more, for commercial, industrial, agricultural, non-profit and multifamily properties. This program accelerates upgrade investments in existing buildings, empowering owners to use their available capital on revenue-generating items including employees, technology and products.

C- PACE was identified by Scientific American as one of the top 20 “world changing” ideas as it provides a new source of property-secured financing for energy efficiency and water conservation retrofits that does not affect conventional lending sources and does not compete for capital with other investment opportunities.

C-PACE is also an economic development tool that creates jobs, improves property values and reduces harmful pollution, all at no cost to the local government treasury. The Texas PACE program has already funded nearly $34 million in energy and water efficiency upgrades over the past year, generating work for the local contracting community that cannot be outsourced. Looking at the economy at a macro level, a recent analysis showed that “energy efficiency is the largest sector within the U.S. clean energy economy, accounting for three in four of its jobs and employing nearly 1.9 million people nationwide.” Even with the oil-and-gas fracking boom, “Texas is seeing strong energy efficiency employment.”

How does PACE work in Texas?

The owner of a commercial, industrial, agricultural, non-profit or multifamily property chooses eligible improvements, a contractor and a private lender. The building owner applies to the C-PACE program for confirmation of building type and improvement eligibility. The program administrator provides technical support and administration services. If the project meets all statutory and program best practices, it qualifies as a C-PACE project. Through the program, the local government allows the property to become responsible for the repayment, via a voluntary senior lien for the cost of the improvements, in exchange for the economic improvement on the property. The lender then provides funds to pay for the project. The property owner installs the eligible upgrades and a project review is conducted by an independent third-party. Owners repay the cost of eligible improvements over a period of up to 20 years or more, with payments secured by voluntary assessments (similar to sidewalk or sewer district assessments) on the property. The energy and/or water savings are structured to exceed the annual assessment payment, resulting in projects that are cash flow positive. As the C-PACE assessment is tied to the property, the assessment automatically transfers to the next owner if the property is sold.

Image courtesy of Texas PACE Authority

This straightforward approach encourages commercial building owners to upgrade infrastructure using the most-efficient technologies. Even though a higher up-front investment in a more-efficient product or technology can save operational expenses and reduce emissions over the lifetime of the equipment, many times the least cost replacement option is chosen because of the initial price tag. By selecting the less expensive up-front option, property owners forgo far greater long-term operational savings. As commercial building owners qualify for C-PACE based on the equity in their property and not their income, the base of financeable projects is expanded and new private investment can be brought into communities.

Where is C-PACE in Texas?

Local regions must opt into the program in order for building owners to be able to take advantage of C-PACE. Currently available in 13 regions across Texas, that number is growing. To date, the counties of Brazos, Cameron, El Paso, Fort Bend, Hays, Hidalgo, Jefferson, Nueces, Travis, Willacy and Williamson, as well as the cities of Dallas and Houston have established programs. All are market-based and flexible, allowing property owners to do business with the parties of their choosing at the lowest possible administrative cost. Additionally, a high level of consumer protection is included to ensure that the projects will deliver the anticipated savings and are based on the “PACE in a Box” model, designed by over 130 Texas stakeholders and used in every Texas PACE program. The Texas PACE Authority, a private non-profit, administers this model program in all of the Texas PACE regions.

C-PACE Benefits

A typical capital stack falls short of the funds necessary to cover the additional upfront cost of modernizing building infrastructure. Using C-PACE, owners can enjoy immediate positive cash flow with no upfront costs. C-PACE empowers owners to lower utility and operating costs, and increase building comfort and asset value by installing energy and water saving equipment. C-PACE financing replaces more expensive partner equity with low-cost, long-term financing that has many additional benefits:

Assessments do not accelerate; if the property is sold, the remaining payments transfer to the new owner
Operational savings exceed the cost of repayment
100% financing with no down payment
Complements historic grants, economic development incentives, rebates, tax incentives, etc.
C-PACE financing for energy and water efficiency measures and distributed generation technologies allow the developer to focus available capital on other parts of the project
Improvements will enhance the value and efficiency of existing buildings, enabling some buildings to become LEED certified
Reduce demand on the energy grid
Support the state’s water plan
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Mitigate split incentive issues between landlords and tenants as to investments in energy efficiency and water conservation improvements

In the aggregate, PACE improvements will promote long-term economic development in Texas by helping the state obtain energy and water security, grow and retain jobs, improve property values and reduce harmful pollution.

C-PACE Success in Texas

Butler Brothers Building
In July, the largest C-PACE project to date in Texas, and the third-largest in the nation, closed in the City of Dallas. Alterra International, a Dallas-based global real estate development company, obtained $23.9 million in private capital at advantageous terms for the energy and water saving upgrades to the historic Butler Brothers Building. The 1910 nine-story mercantile warehouse had long been an empty eyesore across from City Hall. The redevelopment into 238 apartments, a 270-room dual-branded Fairfield Inn/Town Home Suites by Marriott, and retail and office space is expected to spur additional revitalization in the area.

Benefits and anticipated savings at the Butler Brothers Building include:

Annual electricity use will be reduced by more than 6.6 million Kilowatt hours
Annual water savings of almost 700,000 gallons
More than 3,500 metric tons per year of Carbon dioxide emissions (CO_2e) will be reduced
Over 100 jobs in the Dallas area will be created

Simon Property Group
The largest shopping mall operator in America, Simon Property Group, has closed five C-PACE projects throughout Texas over the past year. Using C-PACE financing, Simon funded a number of improvements including interior and exterior LED lighting, HVAC replacement, smart glass, heat reducing awning technology, low-flow faucet upgrades and conservation updates to water features and irrigation technology.

Combined, benefits and anticipated savings at the five properties will include:

Annual electricity use reduction of 3,983,000 Kilowatt hours
Annual water savings of over 12,158,000 gallons of water per year
Contributing to the creation of nearly 50 jobs across the state.

The ability of Simon Property Group to close multiple projects in different cities on the same day demonstrates one of many benefits of the uniform Texas “PACE in a Box” model used in every Texas PACE program.

The Solution is Here

Commercial buildings are responsible for an enormous amount of resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. New technologies help the state make the most of a limited water supply and develop an electricity grid that is cleaner and more reliable to sustain significant population growth. As the demand for more efficient buildings in Texas increases, a market-driven solution such as C-PACE fills the gap.

Texas C-PACE answers the question, “How are we going to pay for it?” This voluntary financing tool is transforming how developers, owners and contractors look at projects, proving that there is a clear path forward to operational savings brought about by energy efficiency, distributed generation and water use reduction improvements in existing buildings.

Visit www.texaspaceauthority.org to get involved and learn more.

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Charlene Heydinger serves as President for The Texas PACE Authority (TPA), a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) third-party administrator for C-PACE programs across Texas.

Laying the Groundwork for Greener Buildings: The Upshot of Texas’ 85th Legislative Session

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 13:00:00 GMT

Laying the Groundwork for Greener Buildings: The Upshot of Texas’ 85^th Legislative Session
By Anna Clark

A Q&A with USGBC Texas Advocacy Chair David Matiella, UTSA College of Architecture, Construction and Planning, Co-Founder of Green Money Search.

David, you’re a full-time professor. How did you get this volunteer advocacy gig?

I began serving on the advocacy committee in 2003 and eventually gained enough experience to become chair of the statewide committee. I’ve now served in this capacity for the past four sessions. It’s exciting, invigorating and always challenging. I take special joy and pride in getting to facilitate conversations among the best building professionals in the state, and then I bring that knowledge to bear in front of people who make or propose policies to impact the built environment. I take special pride in bringing the message of green building and sustainability to those who create public policy. Communicating the social, environmental, and economic benefits of green building is a passion. We help to communicate the potential of what greener buildings can do for the state of Texas.

You’ve got a great attitude for a guy who must get disappointed a lot. What about this work gives you hope?

It’s true that last November's election was a tough pill to swallow for those concerned about environmental issues and sustainability. We see recently that the President intends to signal our departure from the Paris Climate Agreement. This is no positive news. But here in Texas, state legislators have an important task to consider legislative decisions that are best for Texas. Regardless of the disarray in Washington, Texas is poised to chart its own course to a sustainable future with good leadership. Whether these leaders are blue-state or red-state, Texas leaders share a deep sense of responsibility on many issues. More than ever, there is a need for us to work together to devise solutions that will take our built environment in a positive direction to benefit Texans, and to do so in a way that’s environmentally sound.

How do you begin to design green policies that can withstand this environment?

As with each session, we started back in August trying to take a temperature of what might come across in terms of green building policy. We assessed the headwinds from the previous year in terms of sustainability for issues at the international, national and local levels, and how these may indicate opportunities for sustainable development.

When the November election did not result in recognition of the issue of climate change, we felt the need to look as closely as ever before at pragmatic solutions, and to focus on the core competencies of the USGBC and our mission-driven organization. We proceeded to do what we always do: we mobilized our boots on the ground to hold important events in Houston and Dallas - thanks to the hard work of fine advocates from around the state, we learned about our leaders’ legislative priorities.

By January we were beginning to have some real conversations about policy proposals. Yet again, we realized that we had the opportunity to reaffirm our non-partisan role, our expertise in the professional community, and to look at what makes sense for Texas at the nexus of social, environmental and economic prosperity. From there, we reached out to offices and constructed a legislative agenda that was finalized ahead of our February 28^th Advocacy day at the Capitol.

What bills ended up on this year’s agenda?

When we finished the legislative agenda in early February, the bills included:

I was excited to be part of Advocacy Day in Austin back in February. As a North Texas Regional Council Director who lives in a LEED-certified home, I wanted to share my voice. I even like to think I made a difference. Is this just wishful thinking or do they really listen to citizens like me?

Thanks for attending and yes, it’s very valuable when people show up at the Capitol in person. Personal visits are much more valuable than phone calls, although making the calls matters also. No matter what end of the spectrum you’re on, legislators and their aides will listen to you, especially if you are their constituent. Those visits are never superficial.

We had more than 40 advocates such as yourself attend the training and office visits for Advocacy Day, which created a strong voice for the Texas chapter. For the volunteers who took time to visit with their representative or senator – the importance of that cannot be overstated. At the end of the day, it comes down to people making decisions, and those people care about the interests of voters and taxpayers in their districts.

What was the outcome of these bills?

We saw several of the bills that we threw our support behind make it to the Governor’s desk. Anytime that this happens, it’s a big deal. These included SB 59 Filed by Sen. Zaffirini, a bill to support state agencies and higher education institutions. Also signed by the Governor was HB 1571, filed by Rep. Paddie, which will help facilitate energy-saving projects for local governments by expanding applicability of Energy Savings Performance Contracts. We consider these positive steps toward a sustainable future and a greener built environment.

USGBC Texas plays a significant role because of our efforts. To achieve this, we had an excellent intern Michelle Mendoza, who I leaned on heavily in the organizing role. The advocacy committee themselves gave us great input and work. Advocates in the Gulf Coast region area such as Natalie Goodman helped organize a December legislative meet and greet in Houston. Letter-writing campaigns in the North Texas region were also critical to our momentum.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of from this session?

Critical to our work this session was the formation of the Green Schools Caucus, which is chaired by Representative J.M. Lozano. As a result of his chairmanship, we were able to hold our first meeting of the Green Schools Caucus on May 18, which was attended by several legislative offices including the Speaker’s office. That same day, Chairman Lozano read House Resolution 2090 on the floor of the House of Representatives to recognize and support Green Schools.

Our group of five key presenters were recognized including Sangeetha Karthik and Janah St Luce with Corgan & Associates, who presented a case study of the Lady Bird Johnson Middle School. Their presentation helped us take an abstract idea of “green schools” and make it tangible by walking them through its list of net-zero attributes. Mike Dieterich from RISE industries was also present to show case studies of green schools from an operations and maintenance standpoint. Advocacy Advisor Ken Flippin and I were also present.

What are your next steps?

Building on our momentum from the Green Schools Caucus and HR 2090, House Resolution in Support of Green Schools, we are developing a list of interim charges that we will give to Senator Lozano’s office. These interim charges will take the form of proposals for studies that examine the effectiveness of high-performing buildings and schools. These interim charges and studies will be effective tools to build legislative measure for the next session. With these actions, we believe that we are laying the groundwork for important legislation around green buildings and green schools in particular for years to come.

Do you see schools could be a gateway to better buildings in Texas?

They certainly have that potential, yes. Schools are important buildings to all of us, and therefore a priority in terms of building improvements in the state. Creating the buildings that educate our kids with better energy efficiency, performance and indoor air quality also translates into a “living lab” for sustainability education, which is essentially STEM education. Teaching our kids about energy use and technologies while giving them the benefit of well-being is a win-win for everyone.

What do you need from us now?

Local engagement is something I want to continue with moving forward. We must continue to communicate the immediacy of climate change, the benefits of sustainability, and explain the role that green building has to play as a solution to these complex issues facing humanity. We have to do that to remain effective. There’s an opportunity here for better dialogue from micro to macro. We must recruit new leaders within USGBC and be prepared to lead with our mission-driven organization. Now more than ever, our advocacy work is important at all levels, local, state, and national.

Each of us has an opportunity to be leaders for sustainability, but we must be willing to do the necessary work to help achieve these goals. More than ever, we need your knowledge, expertise and your work for USGBC here in Texas.

JOIN THE ADVOCACY EFFORTS

Integrative Design

Mon, 08 May 2017 13:00:00 GMT

Integrative Design
by Tricia Loe

There is nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency something that should not be done at all. – Peter Drucker

It’s time to take a new look at the way we build green buildings.

The green building movement has been around for 20 or 25 years, and has (almost) come into the mainstream in many building markets. We’re getting pretty good at it, right? But real breakthrough in the way we build buildings will only come about with changes like using the Integrative Design Process.

For example, many people believe that the best way to build a green building is to add new, usually very expensive, features. Some of these “Gucci” options might include high-end mechanicals or expensive green-labeled finishes. However, adding green technology and products is not always the best way to build a green building. In fact, the added expense may prompt the stakeholders to “value engineer” the green features out completely.

I’m all for new technologies, energy-efficient mechanicals, and sustainably sourced materials. And this strategy is certainly one way to earn a LEED certification. However, in some cases it’s just throwing new features into outmoded building designs. Isn’t it time for a breakthrough in the way we design and build buildings in the first place?

Let’s imagine the alternative. What if the project team designed the building with an energy-efficient envelope, passive design features, and waste energy recovery? And what if these measures reduced the size of the HVAC equipment needed in the first place? Then the project could afford energy-efficient mechanicals because the equipment needed is not so large.

What if the project team rethought the way materials were used, creating a building with simpler finishes that were naturally greener and less expensive?

True Integrative Process takes building systems into account and finds new ways to create buildings. It evaluates the building using new process and tools, early in the design phase, processes and tools that can lead to a better building. The end result is a building that is built right…without skyrocketing costs.

The Integrative Process will be the topic of our upcoming NTX Sustainable Showcase. We invite you to register for Sustainable Showcase and come learn more about designing and building using the Integrative Design Process. Our workshop presenter will be Bill Reed, founding board member of the US Green Building Council and co-author of “The Integrative Design Guide to Green Building: Redefining the Practice of Sustainability”.

If you’re looking for a whole new way of looking at sustainable building design and construction, then Sustainable Showcase and the Integrative Design Process can help you get there.

Interested? Sign up below.

REGISTER

How Can We Combat Climate Change? Education!

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 13:00:00 GMT

How Can We Combat Climate Change? Education!
By Mike Brown

America is in the midst of one of the most profound and rapid societal shifts in history. Today's generation of children is the first to grow up indoors. Their plugged-in lives are largely devoid of exploring the natural world and we are just beginning to understand the ramifications of their virtual world.

This movement indoors is not benign; there are costs to the health of our children: attention difficulties, hyperactivity, childhood obesity, diminished use of senses, disconnect from things that are real. Additionally, if children are detached from nature, how will they learn about, understand, and value nature? How will the next generation care about the land and be stewards of its resources? Did you know that environmental education can help children perform better in social studies, science, language arts, and math?

Our children deserve the best education, and with proposed budget cuts to national programs that support energy & water conservation, our mission to promote sustainability is now more important than ever. April is Earth Month and with Earth Day Texas right around the corner we have the opportunity to re-engage the community and local industry professionals about the modern environmental movement; inspiring citizens around the world to demonstrate their commitment to a healthy and sustainable world. One way that the local U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Texas Chapter is doing this is through educational outreach with its Mobile Experience Center (MEC).

MOBILE EXPERIENCE CENTER (MEC)
It’s no Tiny Home, but something even better! The Mobile Experience Center is a 24-foot enclosed trailer that includes an interactive multimedia space – so that visitors can actually see, feel, touch and learn about green building design, construction, as well as building operation and maintenance strategies. Through videos, touch-screen applications, and real-world demonstrations of energy-efficient lighting, appliances and plumbing fixtures, the Mobile Experience Center makes the concept of “sustainability” tangible to thousands of visitors.

What’s unique about the Mobile Experience Center is its portability. It is truly a learning and experience center on wheels. Instead of inviting groups to come see our green exhibit at a fixed location or even a temporary installation, we are able to bring this learning and experience center to them – whether it’s a tradeshow floor, a street fair, a city building, a public parking lot, or a school playground. It just takes a few minutes to set up (i.e. -- we position the trailer, extend the entry ramp, flip up the solar panels, and switch on the inverter). Voila! An instant green building demonstration platform that’s fun and interactive! Some of these exciting exhibits include:

500W Solar Photovoltaic System by Axiom Solar
High Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures by American Standard
LED Lighting Panels by RAB Lighting
EZ-H20 Water Bottle Filling Station by Elkay
Green Cleaning Products (Commercial & Residential) by Staples
Car Charging Station by NRG
And even insulation made from Recycled Blue Jeans! by Bonded Logic

Sponsors benefit from creating, developing and enhancing credibility, engaging in highly targeted marketing, leveraging word-of-mouth potential, increase brand recognition, and give back to the community.

Since the trailer has both residential and commercial products, local business owners can also learn about strategies and equipment that can be used improve their bottom line. Many of our volunteers are engineers, architects or contractors and are knowledgeable about various green building practices and methods for reducing operational costs. Data collected from last year's travels across North Texas estimated that the solar panels generated about 1,300 kWh electrical over the course of the entire year (equivalent to 2,190 miles driven by a car or preventing 1 metric ton of CO2 emissions). Now that the USBGC Texas Chapters are united, the MEC has the potential to travel across the vast state of Texas to various trade shows, conferences, and schools. Upcoming appearances include events like GRO El Paso, the USGBC Texas Energy Summit (Houston), and the North Texas Sustainable Showcase.

Interested in having the MEC at one of your events, schools, or social? Visit our website here for more details on event requests.

EARTH DAY TEXAS 2017
The MEC is scheduled as an exhibit for this year’s Earth Day Texas event to be held Friday, April 21st – Sunday, April 23^rd at Fair Park in Dallas. Event hours are 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. This three-day free event is held in April to celebrate progress, hope, and innovation and is the largest event in the world of its kind. Earth Day Texas brings together environmental organizations, businesses, academic institutions, government agencies, speakers, interactive programming, and subject matter experts along with live music and sustainable beer and food pavilions. Earth Day Texas creates a fun and engaging atmosphere for thought and experiential learning while encouraging attendees to be the change they wish to see in the world. In 2016, Earth Day Texas hosted over 130,000 attendees, 700+ exhibitors and 250+ speakers, becoming the largest annual environmental exhibition and programming initiative in the world.

ENGAGING YOUTH TO BE FUTURE CONSERVATION LEADERS
The MEC not only offers the community an opportunity to learn about existing technologies that conserve water and energy, but it also gives them the tools and resources to apply in their everyday lives. In an era where more and more children are disconnected from nature, USGBC recognizes the importance of making a real investment in environmental education and outdoor learning. Studies have shown environmental education engages students in learning, raising test scores, and encouraging youth to pursue career in environmental and natural resources.

Teaching the community to become environmental stewards would not be possible without the help of our MEC Leadership Team and dedicated volunteers throughout the year.

If you would like to volunteer at an upcoming event or join the development of bringing this amazing initiative all together, send a request below. You can also support by following or sharing on social media.

· Like the USGBC Texas Facebook page

· Follow USGBC Texas Twitter

· Follow USGBC Texas on LinkedIn

VOLUNTEER

The Business of Water: North Texas Water Symposium 2017

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 14:00:00 GMT

The Business of Water: North Texas Water Symposium 2017
By David Rodriguez

Don't be deceived just because the lakes are full. Water will be an on-going concern for Texas businesses and homes as the population increases and temperatures rise. What do business owners, managers, and homeowners need to know about the current and long-term costs and availability of this quintessential natural resource? Find out on March 29^th when USGBC Texas hosts its third annual North Texas Water Symposium.

This symposium will focus on water security confidence, which the public and private sector need to continue making North Texas a viable place to invest in and conduct business. The intent of the North Texas Water Symposium is to inform and engage the public in dialogue on the state of water in North Texas. This year’s theme is “The Business of Water,“ so speakers will emphasize the business component with its many derivatives.

Household decision makers and building professionals working with the residential sector will also benefit from understanding the statewide concerns around this critical natural resource that is both renewable and exhaustible. The average household uses 400 gallons per day for indoor and outdoor domestic uses, spending about $500 annually on water and sewage utility costs. In 2009, it was projected 22% of US households would spend more than 4% of their household income on water and wastewater fees.

As water utility rates continue to rise faster than household income, water conservation must increase to improve the economic situation for our nation’s low-income households as well. All stakeholders should be present in order to understand the challenges as well as opportunities that will arise as water issues escalate in importance.

Event Details
THE NORTH TEXAS WATER SYMPOSIUM: THE BUSINESS OF WATER
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
Bill Priest Institute, Hoblitzelle Auditorium
1402 Corinth Street, Dallas, Texas 75215
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Register Now

Speakers-to-date include:

Sapna Mulki, Director, Water, Hahn Public
Jake Spicer, Enterprise Sustainability Manager, DFW Airport

More speakers coming soon!

The USGBC Texas has been pleased at the range and depth of water issues explored by the distinguished speakers who have participated in this series. Topics in our water symposium series have included: water stewardship; current historical and future impact of watershed, water quality, and water management issues on North Texas; long-term investment and planning for watersheds and the recent decreasing levels of North Texas reservoir storage; the impact of water on economic development in North Texas; property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing; and various options for water management.

Previous speakers at our water symposiums have included:

Jonathan Radtke, North America Water Resource Manager at Coca-Cola
Mike Bastian, Vice President for CH2M Hill and Chairman of the Greater Dallas Planning Council’s Water Task Force
Robert Mace, Texas Water Development Board
Jack Tidwell, formerly with North Central Texas Council of Governments
Mikel Wilkins , Verdunity Sustainable Design
Russell Laughlin, Senior Vice President of Hillwood Properties
Frank Bliss, President - Cooper and Stebbins
Robert Kent formerly with the North Texas Commission
Bech Bruun, Chair- Texas Water Development Board
Dr. Andrew Schoolmaster, Dean, AddRan College of Liberal Arts
Walter “Buzz” Piskur, Director of Water Utilities, City of Arlington
Linda Christie, Community and Government Relations, Tarrant Regional Water District
Glenn Clingenpeel , Planning and Environmental Services, Trinity River Authority of Texas
John Robert Carman, Water Director, City of Fort Worth
Jay Chapa, City of Fort Worth, Economic Development
Lairy Johnson, Environmental Engineer - Miller-Coors
Todd Waldvogel, PE, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities & Campus Planning - Texas Christian University
Steve Sassman , Water and Energy Conservation Engineer- General Motors
Jody Puckett, Director- City of Dallas Water Utilities
Frank Crum, former Water Director, City of Fort Worth, Public Infrastructure at Halff Associates

Any questions? Contact David Rodriguez, Program Chairman, USGBC Texas, Water Symposium Series at davidroyrodriguez@gmail.com.

Join USGBC Texas in Austin for Advocacy Day

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 14:00:00 GMT

Join USGBC Texas in Austin for Advocacy Day
By Anna Clark

The 85^th Legislative Session began on January 10^th. and advocacy efforts are underway to promote favorable policies for greener building in the Lone Star state. Green building is projected to see positive growth for years to come, with its influence reaching across the U.S. economy and generating significant environmental, economic and social benefits. If you are eager to learn how to encourage your legislators to support sustainable building practices in Texas, join us in Austin for USGBC Texas State Advocacy Day.

On February 28^th volunteer advocates will convene at the Capitol in Austin for an advocacy training session where we will review the Chapter’s advocacy priorities and legislative agenda. Following this session, attendees will make legislative visits to offices in the Capitol during the afternoon.

“Instead of walking in with big agenda, we have the advantage of walking in as educators on what can become positive and non-partisan legislation,” said David Matiella, Chair of the USGBC Texas Statewide Advocacy Committee.

USGBC Texas is also pursuing a Green Schools Caucus during this legislative session and will target several legislators to co-chair this caucus. Green Schools Caucus will center around three pillars of a green school, including 1) reduced environmental impact & costs, 2) improved occupant health & wellness, and 3) effective environmental & sustainability education

The state’s advocacy efforts complement USGBC National’s legislative priorities, which include:

Government Leadership by example
Private Sector market transformation
Raising the bar on codes and regulations and
Community-wide sustainability

For details on the Chapter’s priorities for these impact areas, check out the Narrative of Priorities, the Advocacy & Policy section at http://www.usgbc.org/about, and review the 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study.

To participate in USGBC Advocacy Day, please meet at the Mitte Foundation Carriage House on February 28th at 11:00 am at 1008 West Ave, Austin, TX 78701. The event will conclude with a reception at Google Fiber Space located in downtown Austin at 201 Colorado St., Austin, TX 78701. Representative Mark Strama will speak. RSVP for the event below.

For information, contact advocacy@usgbctexas.org.

RSVP for Advocacy

Press Release: U.S. Green Building Council Announces Texas is 10th State in the Nation for LEED Green Building in 2016

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 21:00:00 GMT

U.S. Green Building Council Announces Texas is

10^th State in the Nation for LEED Green Building in 2016

Washington, D.C. — (Jan 25, 2017) — Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its national ranking of the top states in the country for LEED green building and Texas is the 10^th state in the nation for 2016. The annual list highlights states throughout the country that made significant strides in sustainable building design, construction and transformation over the past year. With a total of 211 LEED certified projects representing 1.67 square feet of certified space per resident, Texas is leading the charge in the green building movement in the United States.

“Texas has been a phenomenal trailblazer in green building and LEED certifications and is leading the way toward a more sustainable future for generations to come,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC. “The success of LEED could not happen without support from states likes Texas that believe in being environmentally and socially responsible and have committed to transforming the built environment. With each new LEED certification, we are lowering carbon emissions, creating a healthier environment, driving economic growth and prioritizing sustainable practices that will positively impact the way residents, communities and cities live, work and play.”

According to USGBC’s 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study, LEED construction is expected to support 244,000 jobs and impact GDP by $21.39 billion from 2015- 2018 in Texas.

“Our ranking in the Top 10 States for LEED shows the continued success of the green building market in Texas,” said Jonathan Kraatz, executive director of USGBC – Texas Chapter. “Companies and business owners across the state have embraced LEED and green building practices in all sectors from a fiscally — as well as socially — responsible perspective, and are realizing the benefits of LEED on both their occupants and facilities. We’ve made a great start and look forward to continuing our work creating prosperous sustainable built environment that improves life for all Texans."

Now in its seventh year, the ranking assesses the total square feet of LEED-certified space per resident based on U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects certified during 2016. The full ranking is as follows:

2016 Top 10 State for LEED
Rank	State	Certified Gross Square Footage (GSF)	Per-capita Certified GSF	Total No. Projects
1	MA*	24,398,765	3.73	136
2	CO*	15,921,457	3.17	92
3	IL*	36,188,485	2.82	151
4	NY	48,405,204	2.5	211
5	CA*	88,891,641	2.39	632
6	NV*	6,397,602	2.37	22
7	MD*	13,426,623	2.33	104
8	VA*	18,444,309	2.31	155
9	WA*	15,103,478	2.25	105
10	TX*	41,942,393	1.67	211
**	DC	17,476,447	29.04	120

*Included in 2015 Top 10 States for LEED list
**Washington, D.C. is not ranked as it is a federal district, not a state

A few notable projects that certified in Texas in 2016 include:

Skanska West Memorial Place Phase I in Houston; LEED Platinum
Bank of America Plaza 901 Main in Dallas; LEED Gold
Baylor Medical Waxahachie; LEED Silver

Collectively, 1,819 commercial and institutional projects achieved LEED certification within the Top 10 States for LEED in 2016, representing 309.12 gross square feet of real estate. Across the United States, 3,366 projects were certified in 2016, representing 470.39 million square feet.

The LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. More than 59,000 commercial, neighborhood and residential projects are currently LEED certified, comprising more than 6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 164 countries and territories globally.

The 2017 Regional Council Nomination Slate

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 20:00:00 GMT

What an exciting time it is to be a part of our USGBC Texas community! One of the key opportunities for Chapter members in guiding USGBC Texas' strategic direction is with the nomination and election of the 2017 Regional Councils.

The Election will be open from December 1 - December 14, 2016. Voting is conducted online and only members of the Chapter may vote. Chapter Members will receive an invitation to vote via the e-mail on record - login to ensure your e-mail is up-to-date or e-mail chapter@usgbctexas.org for assistance.

Not a member of the Chapter? Join or renew here.

Below are your candidates for the 2017 Regional Councils.

NORTH TEXAS

Debby Moore Baker
Vice President of Sales
Moore Disposal Corporation &
Moore Recycling Incorporated

Susan Flanagan, LEED AP ID+C
Southwest Regional Manager
Solatube, International

Brandon Kenney
Vice President
Fischer & Company

Tricia Loe
President
Sustainable Concepts, LLC

GULF COAST

Brent Farrell
Founder & Owner
ReCraft Construction Services, LLC

Tim Murray
Sustainable Design Leader
EYP, Inc.

Maria Perez, AIA, LEED Fellow
Architect
Gensler

Kapil Upadhyaya
Senior Associate/Building Performance Analyst
Kirksey Architecture

CENTRAL TEXAS

Andrew Clements
Architect
Self-employed

Lisa Storer
Project Manager
Benz Resource Group

Andre Suissa, MAI
Principal
Titan Commercial Valuation, LLC

Amy Tasch, LEED AP ID+C
Treehouse, Inc
Assistant Store Director

Allison Wilson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Associate
Ayers Saint Gross

WEST TEXAS

Lauren Baldwin
Sustainability Program Specialist
City of El Paso

Nicole Ferrini
Chief Resilience Officer
City of El Paso

Ryan Green
Seeing Green Sales & Consulting, Inc.

Thea Gudonis
Solar City

Joseph Riccillo
Sundt Construction

SOUTH TEXAS

Michael Britt
Project Architect
Lake Flato Architects

John Sullivan
Architectural Specifier
InterCeramic USA

Greenbuild 2016 Recap

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 13:00:00 GMT

Greenbuild is the most exciting week of the year for USGBC when industry professionals converge to share ideas and celebrate the accomplishments of the past year. This year, members of the green building community and beyond gathered in Los Angeles, California on October 5-7 for the industry’s premier event.

Didn’t have the opportunity to attend Grenbuild 2016? Check out the recaps from your fellow Texas Chapter members below, from first-time Greenbuild newbies to Emerging Professionals to seasoned conference goers.

"The two big USGBC announcements from Greenbuild were the "arc" platform that bridges all the GBCI certifications using big data and LEED for Cities (no details yet!). The expo was as informative as ever and featured several tiny houses. The two big electrochromic glazing competitors tried to outdo each other with View offering a virtual product experience at their booth while Sage glass gave tours of the 71 Above restaurant outfitted with their product in L.A.'s tallest building. The educational sessions were decidedly more technical than in the past and I left each one with new ideas and tools to implement them. I took two tours that were uniquely L.A.. The first showed the polar opposites of the Hollywood neighborhood with a new housing project for homeless and then a Class A+ residential tower incorporating historical buildings of the old CBS radio / TV studio. That tour ended at Morphosis' Emerson College, a dorm and classroom building for the student's L.A. internships, overlooking the Hollywood sign. The second tour was of UCLA with its 30 LEED certified projects on campus and its system wide goal of carbon neutrality by 2025. Keynote Speakers Bjarke Ingels shared his latest projects while Sebastian Junger told us of war-time loyalties that tapped into our instinctive need for tribal belonging and how these groups can make true change possible. Fun was had too, from Pokemon hunting on Santa Monica Pier to Celebration performances by X Ambassadors and Aloe Blacc." - Tim Murray, USGBC Texas Board of Directors - Secretary

"When I first learned about Greenbuild, it was described to me as “Disney World for people in our industry”. It most definitely did not disappoint.

My Greenbuild days looked like this: I reached my daily 10,000 step goal by lunchtime, jumped from one interesting education session to another learning about what new projects and technologies are changing our industry, and was exposed to the most innovative green products on today’s market. However, as amazing as all that was, what really made it “Disney World” for me was being surrounded by thousands of people who genuinely cared about the environment, interacting with leaders that were paving the way so we could all make a difference, and having the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas across all areas of sustainable design." - Marianna Verlage, First Time Greenbuild Attendee

"It was great to attend Greenbuild this year in LA. I always enjoying going to Greenbuild to see new sustainable and innovate products, attending great educational sessions and networking with other sustainable leaders from around the world!

This year, I noticed a continued emphasis on Health and Wellness. We are still learning just how important our buildings and spaces can have a big impact on human health. We need to focus on improving the environment that we live in." - Chris Mundell, North Texas Regional Council - Chairman

"Greenbuild this year offered a lot of LEED v4 informational sessions. There was concern expressed by many conference attendees about how project teams will handle the new challenges and how the market will accept the new standards. There was also a subtle transition in the USGBC’s vision and focus with a new CEO taking over for Rick Fedrizzi, Mahesh Ramanujam. Mahesh gave an official acceptance speech at the Closing Plenary session where he expressed concerns about growing social issues facing the world. He originally comes from India and is personally touched by the extreme poverty many people live in and the unequal access to sustainable living environments. I think in the future we’re going to see a lot more advocacy for gripping social issues from the USGBC… or at least more edgier Master Speaker Sessions at Greenbuild!" - Courtney Brinegar, ADVANCE Ambassador

Thank you, Los Angeles – it was definitely an Iconic Green event! For those of you who missed out this year, mark your calendars for Greenbuild 2017 in Boston on November 8-10, 2017.

Did you attend Greenbuild 2016? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below! (You must be logged in to leave a comment).

A Green Apple for Our Teachers

Mon, 10 Oct 2016 14:00:00 GMT

A Green Apple for Our Teachers
by Stacia Peese

September has passed and our children are settling in for another year of reading, writing and arithmetic.

The past several months, I’ve been learning about challenges and opportunities in the education community. How are the students being prepared for the 21^st century? What type of tools do they need? How are facilities supporting these progressive learning styles? And how can we pay for it all? Each of these questions has complex answers. In this blog post, I’m focusing on the maintenance and operation numbers.

This past spring, USGBC’s Center for Green Schools released a study entitled State of Our Schools: America’s K-12 Facilities. The study highlights that many of our school facilities are struggling to provide 21^st learning environments because many essential maintenance and capital improvement programs are underfunded.

According to the study, on every school day, nearly 50 million students and 6 million adults occupy close to 100,000 buildings. This equates to an estimated 7.5 billion gross square feet and 2 million acres of land. That’s huge! In fact, state and local governments invest more capital in K-12 public school facilities than in any other infrastructure sector outside of the highways.

Nationally, between the years of 1994-2013, states and districts spent a total of $925 billion in 2014 dollars on maintenance and operations (M&O), including: daily cleaning, grounds keeping maintenance, utilities, and security of facilities. This averages to $46 billion per year over those 20 years. In order to keep pace with the projected increase in student enrollment from 2012-2024, M&O spending will need to increase another by another $8M.

In 2013, Texas K-12 Public School facilities consisted of 8,731 schools amounting to 602 million gross square feet. Enrollment was set at 4,897,523. In the period from 1994-2013, Texas public school districts spent $4,598M maintaining and operating its facilities. That is roughly 11% of their total operating funds. The study stated that based on historic rates of spending, the State of Texas will need to increase its spend an additional $2M per year to accommodate the additional 688,641 students projected to enroll in classes between 2012 and 2024. Most of that increase will go toward capital construction and new facilities as Texas’ historic spending on M&O is above the National average. Since the study was conducted, this may be a challenge to maintain with the declining oil and gas revenues that have been enjoyed by the State.

The report’s executive summary provides four key strategies for addressing our challenges.

1) Understand your community’s public school facilities.
A key requirement is to have better data on public school infrastructure.
2) Engage in education facilities planning.
Education leaders must communicate to the general public the value of safer and healthier environments for learning. Provide a plan.
3) Support new public funding.
Relying primarily on local property taxes will not allow for improvements. We need to be creative not only on state and local levels. We need to explore, too, how the federal government may assist.
4) “Finally, leverage public and private resources in new ways to assist states and districts in providing healthy, safe, educationally appropriate and environmentally responsible facilities for their communities.”

Practicing sustainability in schools can make a big impact in managing our maintenance and operations resources. A few activities that fall within these categories include daily cleaning, campus waste audits, grounds-keeping, campus beautification, security and school lighting.

If an educator is interested in going green or know of one that you would like to support, consider the Green Apple Day of Service, a global movement to put all children in schools where they have clean and healthy air to breathe, where energy and resources are conserved, and where they can be inspired to dream of a brighter future. Events can be hosted year round. To plan an event, visit: http://mygreenapple.org/

May we always learn new things in order to better support ourselves in the future. May we always have an environment available to test new skills and theories. That’s what I’m doing here with my first ever blog post as a proud Regional Council member of USGBC Texas, whose mission is to educate all Texans about the benefits of sustainable building.

School is never out for the pro, so if you’re interested in opportunities to grow and learn in sustainability, join us! Here’s how: https://usgbctexas.wildapricot.org/join-us.

Stacia Peese, LEED AP
Staples Business Advantage

Catalyzing Urban Resilience in American Cities

Fri, 02 Sep 2016 14:00:00 GMT

Catalyzing Urban Resilience in American Cities
by Anna Clark

Resilience, a new paradigm for urban planning, green building, and community development, was the subject of the 2016 North Texas Sustainable Showcase, an annual conference hosted by USGBC Texas and other sponsors. The event introduced professionals from every facet of the building sector to elements of urban resilience, a term that both includes and transcends sustainability.

“Resilience is the preservation of communities through ongoing planning for the capacity to learn, adapt, and change in the face of present-day and future threats, both predictable and unknown,“ said Z Smith, principal and director of sustainability and building performance for New Orleans-based design studio Eskew+Dumez+Ripple.

From left to right: Keynote Speaker Z Smith, North Texas Regional Council Member Norma Lehman, Keynote Speaker Betsy del Monte.

Smith used the example of the New York City’s subway system to illustrate the importance of planning for resilience. It had been “designed to withstand all sorts of events” but Hurricane Sandy, which it might have otherwise survived, “proved too much,” said Smith.

Juxtaposing the example of an urban system being compromised by an immediate blow, Showcase speakers shared other examples that illustrated the cascading consequences of slow deterioration of infrastructure in the face of rising water, heat, and socio-economic pressures.

“Things can chronically weaken you over time until you just can’t go on anymore,” said El Paso’s Chief Resilience Officer Nicole Ferrini during her presentation on urban resilience.

Ferrini defines “city resilience” as the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions and businesses within a city to survive, adapt and thrive no matter what kind of chronic stresses and acute shocks they may experience.

As a desert city, El Paso faces consequences of increasing heat; the city experienced four heat-related deaths during this summer. On the positive side, El Paso aims to use its unique circumstances to develop a path for other cities.

“El Paso wants to establish the value of a ‘desert ecosystem’,” said Nicole Ferrini.

In Dallas, chronic stress not only involves increasing heat, but also increasing inequality. According to the analysis from the Urban Institute, which examined inequality within commuting zones (defined as portions of several counties that make up metropolitan areas), Dallas posted the largest neighborhood disparity among commuting zones with at least 250,000 residents.

“We have a $52 billion health care industry in North Texas, but we have the highest rate of uninsured people,” said Dallas’ Chief Resilience Officer Theresa O’Donnell. Alongside her efforts to bolster the built environment, O’Donnell is emphasizing inclusive economic development in Dallas’ roadmap to resilience.

The emphasis in inclusion will also enable the City of Dallas to leverage the support of similarly-aligned civic organizations that are tackling this issue, such as the Inclusive DFW Consortium, a multi-stakeholder community under development with the SMU Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity.

While cities in Texas may seem like underdogs compared to sustainability heavyweights such as San Francisco and New York City, as members of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100RC network, Ferrini and O’Donnell have a track to run on in their race to resilience. The City Resilience Framework provides a lens to understand the complexity of cities and the drivers that contribute to their resilience.

“Looking at resilience nationally, we see each threat is different but themes are the same,” said Smith. He acknowledged that in some American cities, resilience is not about achieving recognition so much as survival.

“New Orleans one day may be like Venice, a historic city surrounded by open water,” said Smith. Fortunately, since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the city has made some phenomenal green achievements.

Referencing leading-edge projects such as the BioInnovation Center, Smith explained that his team’s work in New Orleans “draws on ideas from around the country and around the world.” (Download the Resilient New Orleans Strategy here.)

Recalling that jazz was invented in New Orleans by drawing on ideas from other places and combining them in original ways, Smith added, “Everyone working in resilience has to improvise, but that improvisation can produce beautiful results.”

Strengthening communities with social resilience

While cities often approach resilience to address their most pressing needs, those that are proactive can enjoy what Smith calls the “resilience benefit,” which encapsulates the health, wellness, and financial benefits that accompany efforts toward climate change adaptation, disaster preparedness, and economic inclusivity.

Accounting for the social side of the urban resilience movement, the conference concluded with a stakeholder experience led by Betsy del Monte, FAIA, LEED BD+C, and Jim Newman, LEED AP O+M and principal at Linnean Solutions.

“True engagement comes from co-creating efforts with all stakeholders affected,” said Newman. “Our regenerative development approach is to work with communities to create solutions that are aligned with their environmental, social and economic goals and needs as well as the overall resilience framework of the city.”

Attendees participate in roundtable discussions at North Texas Sustainable Showcase.

As those of us experienced in the workshop, Newman’s approach is to insert people and their experiences into the conversation as a key driver for resilient infrastructure planning, Presenting alongside del Monte, Newman explained their belief in the importance of integrating stakeholder input into solutions. Their presentation expressed a happy confluence of regenerative development training, a design competition aimed at dealing with sea-level rise, and a vision for more humane urban development.

“Betsy and my belief is that we must bring actual people deeply into the planning process so that Dallas can not just survive, but thrive with climate change.” Newman added, “Once we accept these goals, then the question is, ‘How can we affect the most people and do the greatest amount of good?’ This is where our approach to using press and engaging communities gains real power. These tools are available to everyone.”

The 2016 Sustainable Showcase speakers exemplify the caliber of ideas, expertise, and tools that are available to USGBC members and attendees at events. For more information on the Chapter’s events throughout Texas, visit the Events Calendar on the website: http://texasgreenbuildingmarketplace.org/event/.

About Anna Clark

Anna Clark is the president of EarthPeople Media, a strategic communication firm serving start-ups, mid-sized enterprises, Fortune 500s and NGOs. An independent journalist on sustainability and social innovation, Anna’s voice has appeared in Huffington Post, GreenBiz.com, Guardian Sustainable Business, Al Jazeera English, The Christian Science Monitor and The Dallas Morning News.

Houston Launches PACE Program

Fri, 02 Sep 2016 14:00:00 GMT

Houston Launches PACE Program
By Tim Murray

Houston formally launched its PACE program on Wednesday in a ceremony lead by Mayor Turner in the Legacy Room of City Hall. PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy. The voluntary program allows for buildings to finance energy and water efficiency improvements with private sector funding. The funding is then assessed as a senior lien on the property, which is why the city or county must establish the PACE programs. This allows for longer term loans, up to 20 years. Property owners can make their improvements with no upfront capital and ideally their payments are designed to be less than the anticipated energy or water savings resulting in a positive cash flow.

Mayor Turner announces the launch of the Houston PACE program, August 3, 2016
Photo: Tim Murray

The Texas Legislature passed the bill authorizing taxing entities to establish PACE programs in 2013. Mayor Turner voted for the bill twice while serving as a state representative, so it was fitting that he be able to formally launch the program. Mayor Turner noted that if only 3.5 % of commercial properties in Harris County participated, it could result in a savings of $650 million in energy reduction. Currently $100 million of commercial projects are planned in Houston.

John Hall, of the Environmental Defense Fund said that Texas has the highest potential of all states for energy reduction in renewables and demand reduction and the PACE program could result in billions in savings.

Charlene Heydinger is the President of Texas PACE Authority which will administer the program for the city. Charlene has been a tireless promoter and advocate of PACE for years, yet she used her time at the podium to thank Steve Block of Thompson & Knight for establishing Keeping PACE in Texas. This non-profit organized the creation of the “PACE in a Box” toolkit that standardizes the PACE program. This standardization makes for quicker program establishment by local governments and provides consistency for lending institutions.

Dub Taylor, Director of the State Energy Conservation Office is optimistic about how effective this structure can be for the private sector as he has seen the success of the state’s similar LoanSTAR program for public properties over many years.

The Houston program represents the sixth PACE program established in Texas.

City of Houston’s Press Release: http://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/houston-launches-pace-program.html

Mayor Turner’s announcement video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiysRMt3o7I

PACE in a Box: http://www.keepingpaceintexas.org/

For more information: http://www.texaspaceauthority.org/

About Tim Murray

Tim Murray is a Sustainable Design Leader at EYP (WHR Architects) and has been the Project Team Administrator on 28 LEED certified projects. He serves as Secretary of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Texas Chapter and has been on the USGBC-Texas Gulf Coast Region (Chapter) Board of Directors since 2014. He previously served as Chair of the USGBC Texas Gulf Coast Chapter in 2006/2007, served on the USGBC National Chapter Steering Committee, and the national LEED Steering Committee during the development of LEED v4. Tim was the Founding Chair of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Green Building Sub-committee. A registered architect, he graduated from the University of Houston and serves as Treasurer for his son’s Boy Scout Troop.

Welcome to the Inaugural USGBC Texas Blog: Shootin' the Green Breeze

Fri, 05 Aug 2016 14:00:00 GMT

Shootin' the Green Breeze
by Chris Mundell

Welcome to the inaugural blog for USGBC Texas! We felt it was imperative to share our thoughts and knowledge about sustainable strategies, resources, and tools for our members and their communities and we’ll be using this blog to connect with you on a monthly basis.

I'm Chris Mundell, and as the Chair of the North Texas Regional Council, I asked to start with the first blog. It is hard to believe that 2016 is my ten-year anniversary as a LEED Accredited Professional. Sustainability has been a passion of mine for so long and it has been an honor to be able to incorporate that into my projects.

In May, my co-worker and I were asked to be on a Radio Show to talk about Gensler’s approach to sustainability. Speaking on the radio show “Shootin’ the Breeze” (Episode #25), I shared with listeners about sustainable strategies that make sense here in North Texas. The climate in this region is much different that along the US coastlines, for example. Therefore not everything can be accomplished like in those climate zones. Other topics I talked about included renewable energy from wind and solar power, the use of pervious pavers to help with storm-water management, and healthier materials to provide better indoor environments for occupants.

Texas is one of the largest producers of wind power. But much of that wind generation comes from West Texas and large wind turbines. A couple years ago, I helped the University of North Texas (UNT) achieve a LEED Platinum certification for its new football stadium. It also became the first Platinum stadium in the US. Part of the design of the stadium included the use of wind power. UNT received a grant to design and install 3 “community scale” wind turbines. These turbines worked well in their location and continue to help offset the Stadium’s power. Another strategy that we incorporated on the stadium project was the use of pervious pavers for all the new parking lots and drives in lieu of poured concrete or asphalt slabs. The pavers allow rainwater to seep through into the ground rather than runoff into the storm drains.

Lastly, one of the most important topics today is human health. We are learning that the materials and products used to build our homes, schools, offices, and hospitals have an effect on our health. Research shows that we spend typically 90% of our time indoors, but the concern is that our indoor environments might not be the best spaces for us. So, we’re now looking more closely at how we design these spaces with proper air ventilation and filtration as well as the selection of healthier materials and products.

I hope you get a chance to hear the radio show for the full conversation. Join us on this blog as we continue to share knowledge, best practices, and exciting project updates in green building.

- Chris

Chris is an architect at Gensler, where he serves as a Senior Project Manager, the South Central Defense and Aerospace Practice Area Leader, a Community-Flex Studio Operations Leader and a South Central Region Design Performance Leader. He has been involved in a wide range of architecture projects for the past 20 years for government, healthcare, commercial, educational and multifamily residential clients. In addition to his work roles, he is actively involved in the local chapters of AIA, CSI, and USGBC. Chris is the current Chair for the USGBC North Texas Regional Council, serves on the 2030 Dallas District Leadership Council, and is a past-president for the CSI Dallas Chapter.

How Resilient is North Texas?

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 15:00:00 GMT

Resilience is a concept that is grabbing attention, especially with those who shape the world around us. The increasingly severe weather—flooding, droughts, and other natural disasters—teamed with power outages, threats of terrorism, and disease outbreaks, all increase the need for systems that can respond to these shocks and stresses.

The AIA Dallas Committee on the Environment (COTE), USGBC Texas Chapter, and CSI Dallas have joined forces to present the 2016 North Texas Sustainable Showcase focusing on the importance of Resilience. A line-up of nationally known speakers and local experts will make the implications of designing for resilience clear to attendees.

Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, will be the initial keynote speaker. A founder of the sustainable design initiative at HOK, she will introduce, define and expand the concept of resilience for the crowd. Lazarus recently led the team that created the Resilience Pilot Credits for the LEED systems.

Dr. Z Smith of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple in New Orleans, will provide the lunch keynote presentation. He will present some of EDR’s excellent work as case studies of designing for resilience.

Jim Newman, of Linnean Solutions in Boston, will lead an interactive exercise to bring home an understanding of resilience in each person’s community and practice.

All three speakers will gather for a panel discussion, moderated by Betsy del Monte, FAIA, about the implications for design professionals working on the built environment. Does resilience change anything? Does it change everything?

The day will also include a discussion of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities program with Theresa O’Donnell, Dallas’ Chief Resilient Officer, and Nicole Ferrini, Chief Resilience Officer for El Paso.

Those who attend will come away with a firm understanding about how resilience will affect our region, and how to craft an optimistic approach to include it.

Letter from the Chairman, Keith Lindemulder

Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:34:34 GMT

Dear Friends,

This has been a monumental year for the USGBC Texas Chapter. On Earth Day (appropriately) we were notified by the State of Texas that our Chapter merger had been officially completed and the USGBC Texas Chapter had been officially recognized.

The success of our merger is based in the positive support from each of the original Chapters and this predicts that consolidating into one Chapter will truly strengthen our organization’s ability to escalate green building to a whole new level in the State of Texas.

We know from experience that when we unite, we have a stronger voice especially in fundraising and advocacy. The Chapter also benefits from greater collaboration and administrative efficiencies giving us a stronger foundation.

One of the first tasks set for the USGBC Texas Board of Directors was the creation of Strategic Plan. The following key focus areas will steer our efforts over next several years:

Community

Develop and implement programs to engage communities across Texas through individual and partner outreach, advocacy, education, marketing and communications in ways that promote local experts and successful projects.

Environment

Texans depend on the natural environment for clean air, water and energy. Development, construction, and building operations have a significant impact those resources and on the world around us. As significant increases in the population of Texas continue alongside expanded development and resource exploration, USGBC Texas has the opportunity and responsibility to forward the conversation surrounding these important issues.

Economy

Use education, outreach and advocacy to increase the demand for sustainably developed buildings and communities, and to generally promote economic activity in the green building and jobs sector in Texas.

Organizational Excellence

The formation of USGBC Texas is an opportunity to establish the model for USGBC chapters across the nation with regard to coming together in the name of service, stewardship, collaboration and leadership. We exist to provide an opportunity for service to the community, but also to provide service to our membership. We are committed to the tenets of transparency, accountability and partnership. We are the catalysts of change responsible for building the next generation of green leaders.

The five regions of USGBC Texas – Texas Gulf Coast, based in Houston; South Texas, based in San Antonio; Central Texas, based in Austin; West Texas based in El Paso, and North Texas, based in Dallas – focus on gaining support for and involvement in green building activities within their communities through advocacy, community outreach and education. Each Region has many ways for you get involved from speaking at middle school career days and Green Apple Day of Service projects to major symposiums on building energy use and water issues.

Each of these helps us achieve our mission:

To transform the way buildings, homes and communities are designed, built, maintained and operated in Texas through outreach, education, advocacy and partnerships, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life in Texas.

As a non-profit organization, our mission is only possible because of the generous donations of our stakeholders and the work of our volunteers. In that spirit, I invite you to join us at the USGBC Texas Chapter to share a vision of the future of our state.

Best Regards,

Keith Lindemulder
Chairman, USGBC Texas
Environmental Business Development, NuCor Corporation