Since 2008, UT Austin has required all new construction to participate in the USGBC (US Green Building Council) LEED Program. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the world’s most widely used green building rating system, and LEED certification signifies sustainability achievement. The university further requires attaining a minimum LEED rating of silver. The Office of Capital Planning and Construction (CPC) ensures that capital projects meet and often exceed that goal.
CPC managed construction of the Engineering Education and Research Center (EER), which opened in August 2017. EER is a large and complex building. It provides 433,000 gross square feet of engineering and research space that integrates undergraduate education, interdisciplinary graduate research and collaborative facilities.
Despite the size and complexity of the building, EER recently completed the LEED certification process and received LEED Silver certification. Some sustainable highlights of the project include these:
- 20,018 tons of construction waste were diverted from landfills, which was 95.11% of the total construction waste tonnage of 21,047.
- Water use was reduced by 25% from the baseline established by USGBC.
- Potable water use was reduced by 50% from the baseline established by USGBC using water-efficient landscaping.
- Energy efficiency performance (energy cost savings) was 34.5% above the baseline established in ASHRAE[LLD1] Standard 90.1-2007.
- 26% of the value of the materials incorporated into the project contained recycled content for a dollar value of $25,076,770.
- 35% of the materials incorporated into the project originated within 500 miles of the project site.
- 91% of the wood products incorporated into the project used certified wood, as defined by the Forest Stewardship Council. Use of certified wood is intended to protect fragile ecosystems, respect native cultures and economies, prevent illegal logging and restrict clear-cutting and pesticide use.
[LLD1]Note: ASHRAE’s legal name is ASHRAE. They no longer use their full name: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
This story appeared in FAS Times
