The Westlake Academy

What Westlake has found is that the students want the same thing.  “Green is becoming the new democracy.  It is just the right thing to do.” Westlake was designed to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification and has taken sustainability a little further each year.  A recent initiative calls for replacing all exterior lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs that use 75 percent less energy than the conventional 75-watt bulbs previously used.

What Westlake is experiencing is typical for environmentally friendly buildings and campuses.  What started as a design and concept that was somewhat unfamiliar to the faculty, administration and student body has expanded into a way of life.  Now, the community is embracing green programs.

Since initiating its sustainable programs, the school has now installed a new drip irrigation system and has planted local greenscape that requires less water and can tolerate dry conditions.  The new irrigation system should reduce water usage by 75%.

The school was renovated six years ago.  After a meeting with a green consultant, the administration rolled up their sleeves and sought innovative ways to involve the students and all school employees in the sustainable effort.

Every year a new initiative is launched.  Students have been educated in the advantages of sustainability and have pro-actively engaged the concept.  Westlake has a stellar recycling program that works in every classroom and hallway on the campus.

A new arts and science center is scheduled to open sometime in August.  The building is awaiting the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating, but is fully committed to eco-friendly practices.

Schools are finding that LEED® certifications not only are environmentally worthwhile, but they help to create a constructive mindset for students.  The message is clear.  Save the planet and everyone wins.

Parkland’s president and chief executive, Dr. Ron Anderson, announced the $1.27 billion construction project on April 22, 2009.  The new facility will be located on more than 65 acres across from the current Parkland Hospital on Harry Hines Boulevard.  Construction will begin in early 2010 and should be completed by 2014.

Excited administrators, architects and planners have begun spreading the green word.  The building hopes to accomplish a silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system.

Mitch Paradise is with Corgan Associates of Dallas and will head the architectural team.  “There are a lot of misconceptions about going green and the expense of doing it.  If you do it right, there are great efficiencies, such as lower utility costs.”

Parkland has many green initiatives.  One immediate goal is to reduce the amount of materials hauled to local landfills.  A robust recycling program has been recommended by the architects, who have also designed a system to reduce water consumption by 20%.

To encourage employee cooperation, the hospital will install bike racks and provide showers and changing areas for employees who ride instead of drive to work.  Employee mindset is important to Parkland and the health care facility is doing everything within its power and budget to create a happy, healthy workplace.

Under the LEED® rating system, the biking facilities earn one LEED® point.  Specific parking for fuel-efficient vehicles earns another point, while positioning the building to capitalize on the natural lighting can earn a third point.

Jim Henry is a lead designer with HDR Architecture whom is cooperating with Corgan Associates on the $44 million design.  Henry is an energy efficiency expert and says, “Energy efficiency is a big part of a sustainable design.  Having access to natural light and views of nature are part of having a very healthy building.”

When proud Austin, Texas, passed a resolution that municipal buildings must accomplish a US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification, the city became the first in the country to embrace green construction.  That was in the year 2000.
Dallas followed in January 2003 with its own commitment to LEED® certification and Green Building Programs.  An October 2007 report entitled “Toward a Sustainable Dallas” is filled with facts, figures and plans for the greening of the city.  The report also provides a healthy endorsement for the LEED® certification and rating system.

In June 2005, Houston joined the green and LEED® construction party.  The city originally authorized the LEED® certifications for new and replacement facilities that occupied a building of 10,000 square feet or more.

Since the original green and LEED® commitments, the cities have come to realize that not only do LEED® certifications make sense; they save taxpayer money and reduce the environmental stress as well as create healthier working spaces for city employees.  The Obama administration has reached the same conclusion and has loaded the stimulus package with green and LEED® certified requirements and incentives.

Austin’s Dell Children’s Medical Center, designed by Karlsberger and construction by the White Construction firm of Austin, opened June 30, 2007 as the newest member of the Seton Family of Hospitals.  The $200 million project set its sights on the US Green Building Council’s highest rating, the revered platinum LEED® certification.  Austin LEED® certification professional Aide Uzgiris remarked.  “It couldn’t be a more appropriate application for LEED® strategies.  Children, especially sick children, are more sensitive than adults to the effects of chemicals.”

The esteemed platinum LEED® certification calls for an 80% compliance score for energy and environmental design and implementation.  Uzgiris elaborated that, “the materials encouraged by LEED® not only tend to be naturally attractive, they reduce the amount of toxic chemicals inside the building, contributing to healthier indoor air.”

Sounds like a perfect design for a children’s hospital or any other hospital or work environment for that matter.  Developers and building owners should consult with LEED® professionals to better understand the many advantages to certification.

Sustainable construction is responsible construction.  When the U.S. Green Building Council launched its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification programs in 2000, the focus was clearly on commercial development.  While many Texas cities, including Dallas in 2003, have adopted the LEED® program as a standard for achieving commercial sustainability, the LEED® system is now being used by residential developers and builders as well

And, consumers are liking the changes, the developers and the new home construction.  At the Little Forest Hills area of Dallas, builder David Hurt has built a model LEED® certified home at 8802 Eustis Avenue.  Hurt was determined to construct a contemporary house that complied with environmental, economical and social sustainability.  It just seemed the responsible way to go.

Hurt is to be congratulated for working with Cunningham Architects to conceive a 2300 square feet residence that is 30% more energy efficient than a traditional home of similar size and whose monthly energy cost will be less than $100.00.  Hurt has utilized green concepts to exceed required energy codes.

With environmental conservancy and household budgets, the little things add up.  A contemporary landscape design requires little water and no lawn mower.  The deck and another balcony capture the preserved pecan trees.  All appliances are Star Energy rated and all building materials were constructed locally.

Hurt installed efficient Carrier heat pumps and Pella windows.  The builder also was careful to use a radiant attic barrier.  The exterior features six shades of earthy green stucco, which works well environmentally and aesthetically.

LEED® points are also awarded for proximity to mass transit and public areas.  Hurt’s new home is close to both White Rock Lake and the downtown Dallas area, creating a nice blend of accessibility and natural recreation.

•    Demonstrate the environmental impact of buildings and the benefits of green building.

•    Provide recommendations for implementation of a green building program for all residential and non-residential construction in the City of Dallas

The comprehensive plan states much relevant information.

•    300 billion square feet of buildings in the US are the single largest contributor to global warming in the country
•    48% of all energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the US annually is from buildings
•    76% of all power plant generated electricity is used to operate buildings globally.
•    At the current rate of usage, the US is projected to need 1,300 to 1,900 new power plants over the next 20 years or 1 per week.

The last statistic is glaringly unrealistic, but highlights the severity of the dilemma.  So, Texans and all Americans need to change their energy consumption habits.  This is just one of the reasons the US Green Building Council developed its benchmark Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification program.  The Dallas City Council recognized the program’s merits back in January 2003 and made a more pronounced commitment with the 2007 report.

Not only are the LEED® certifications taking on energy efficiency, they help to assure employees of a healthy work environment.  Recently, not only public projects but also private developers have begun to realize the value of LEED® certification.  The program has expanded so much that now LEED® certifications carry value rewards because employees want to work in LEED® certified properties.

Both new and existing buildings can apply for LEED® certification.  The process is a win-win-win scenario whereby the building, the employees and the environment benefit.