A LEED Performance Report on the sustainable design and construction of the City of Austin's City Hall

1. Austin City Hall & Public Plaza
LEED Performance Report
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The following Performance Reports were created in accordance with Council Resolution 20071129-045. The
City of Austin is a recognized international leader in sustainable building practices in which municipal building
strive to conserve energy, water, and other natural resources while promoting human health and safety. The
holistic approach to architecture creates high-quality and enduring structures that enhance the economic
value and reduce the lifecycle costs of a building.
Design and construction of buildings are driven by the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC)
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines and promote these goals. The following
reports provide information about municipal buildings, highlight LEED credentials, and promote sustainable
building achievements.
City of Austin
Office of the City Architect
Peter Davis, AIA, LEED AP
Peter.Davis@austintexas.gov
Theresa Cascio
Silvia Calderon Laiton
Angela Cai
2018

3. REDUCES
ENERGY
CONSUMPTION
REDUCES
POTABLE
WATER USE
DIVERTS
MATERIALS
FROM LANDFILL
PROMOTES
ALTERNATIVE
TRANSPORTATION
IMPROVES
INDOOR
EXPERIENCE
IACP pg. 191
IACP pg. 11
IACP pg. 53
IACP pg. 187
IACP pg. 205
The following can be found in The IMAGINE AUSTIN Comprehensive Plan (IACP)

4. AUSTIN CITY HALL &
PUBLIC PLAZA
301 West 2nd Street, Austin, TX, 78701
LEEDv2.0 BD+C: New Construction
AWARDED LEED GOLD AUG 2006
PREDOCK, COTERA + REED ARCHITECTS
Situated in the former warehouse district of downtown Austin, the Austin City Hall is a 115,000 sq. ft., four-story office
building with 300 full time employees, including the Mayor, City Manager, City Budget offices, and the Legal Department.
The building consists of a large atrium, plaza, telecommunication rooms, internally located mechanical rooms, electrical
space, and an underground parking garage. Comprised of approximately 1.74 acres, the site for the Austin City Hall is
bordered on the south by Cesar Chavez, a primary east/west route through the city, and on the north by Second Street.
The Colorado River is the most prominent boundary of the site.
Located across Cesar Chavez to the south, it contains a large greenbelt area popular for Austin residents to hike, bike,
picnic, and enjoy sponsored activities such as outdoor concerts and festivals. The site of the Austin City Hall reflects the
positive aspects of choosing to develop an urban site—it allowed for the reuse of existing city infrastructure, including
streets and utility lines. Parking for the building is located underground.
Local native central Texas plants and trees are featured on the plaza and terrace levels of the south façade. The heavily
treed plaza, sitting on top of the underground parking garage, helps control stormwater runoff, attracts native birds,
provides shading from the south sun, reduces the heat island effect, and takes advantage of the southern breezes, while
encouraging employees and citizens alike to utilize and enjoy the exterior living environment. Extraordinary detailing,
angles, and cantilevers are a few of the building dynamics that help make this project intriguing as well as sustainable.

6. AUSTIN CITY HALL & PUBLIC PLAZA
301 West 2nd Street, Austin, TX, 78701
LEED GOLD 2006
REDUCES ENERGY CONSUMPTION
1
2
3
Increased wall insulation and efficient windows
reduce conduction loss and benefit heating in the
winter months
Reduce need for electric lighting through use of
natural daylight and reflective interior surfaces
HVAC system does not contain HCFCs, aiding in
protection of the ozone
This annual savings
is equivalent to: 1,249Metric tons of
GHG emissions
70
Energy consumed
by
Per year
Acres of forest758
Carbon sequestered
by
63 Times
Driving around
Earth
53%REDUCTION
ENERGY COST
79%REDUCTION
ENERGY USE
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
District Chilled Water:
2,760,783 ton hours
Total Energy Use
Electricity Provided by Austin Energy:
813,311 kWh
Natural Gas:
3,164,200 kBtu
STRATEGIES:

7. REDUCES POTABLE WATER USE
1
2
3
Recycled site water eliminates the need for potable
water in irrigation systems
Native, drought-resistant plants reduces watering
needs and improves microclimate
Efficient irrigation systems allow for more water to
reach the root of plants before evaporation
Per year3,933
Drinking water
for
37 Average sized
swimming pools
17,700 Bathtubs
This annual savings
is equivalent to: 708kGal of
water
AUSTIN CITY HALL & PUBLIC PLAZA
301 West 2nd Street, Austin, TX, 78701
LEED GOLD 2006
Available Site Water:
138,000 gal/month
Required Irrigation Water:
59,000 gal/month
100%
REDUCTION
IRRIGATION
POTABLE WATER
USE
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
STRATEGIES:

8. DIVERTS MATERIALS FROM LANDFILL
1
2
3
Construction waste is a major element to consider
when diverting materials that go to the landfill
Reducing the amount of material needed and
recycling content can significantly decrease waste
Prefabricated components are another great method
of reducing material scraps and packaging
This savings is
equivalent to: 2,525Metric tons of
GHG emissions
273
Energy consumed
by
Per year
Garbage trucks126
Times
Driving around
Earth
249
AUSTIN CITY HALL & PUBLIC PLAZA
301 West 2nd Street, Austin, TX, 78701
LEED GOLD 2006
79%REDUCTION
LANDFILL WASTE
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
STRATEGIES:
Concrete
58% 27%
Wood
11%
Metal
4%
Other
A CLOSER LOOK
AT DIVERTED WASTE:

9. REDUCE AND REUSE OF MATERIALS
1
2
3
Regionally extracted and manufactured materials
include the total cost of materials within a 500 mile
radius
Pre- and post-consumer recycled materials include
the copper cladding, handrails, bicycle racks,
and more
An educational outreach program was implemented at
City Hall including guided tours and brochures to
educate the public on sustainable solutions
Where does regional material come
from? Almost $5 million of the material is
regionally purchased from within
500 miles of the site
AUSTIN CITY HALL & PUBLIC PLAZA
301 West 2nd Street, Austin, TX, 78701
LEED GOLD 2006
Total Material Cost:
$7,852,243
63% Regional Material:
$4,950,158
24% Harvested Regionally:
$2,789,299
39% Recycled Material Content:
$3,037,640
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
STRATEGIES:

10. This savings is
equivalent to:
=
Alternative transportation includes:
65
Metric tons of
CO2 emissions
Bicycle stalls Miles of commuting
per year
66
162,500
PROMOTES ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
There are 4 Capital Metro lines
within ¼ mile of the building.1
2
3
Located in a high traffic area in the heart of the city
with many pedestrian friendly points of access
65 bike stalls available for 14% of the daily
users
Vicinity to public transportation promotes
alternative methods of travel
AUSTIN CITY HALL & PUBLIC PLAZA
301 West 2nd Street, Austin, TX, 78701
LEED GOLD 2006
14%
of Users have Access to Bicycle
Stalls
Bicycle Stalls:
65
Total Daily Users:
478
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
STRATEGIES:
What about shared transportation?

11. IMPROVES INDOOR EXPERIENCE
1
2
3
Reduction of volatile organic compounds in all
categories of indoor material use
Zones of occupancy controls maximize
thermal comfort rate for daily users
Deck-to-deck partitions between chemical usage
areas to maintain indoor air quality
ADHESIVE
&
SEALANTS
PAINTS CARPET COMPOSITE
WOOD
4 OUT OF 4
CREDITS ACHIEVED FOR
LOW-EMITTING
VOLATILE ORGANIC
COMPOUND (VOC)
CONTENT
AUSTIN CITY HALL & PUBLIC PLAZA
301 West 2nd Street, Austin, TX, 78701
LEED GOLD 2006
A CLOSER LOOK
AT VOC CONTENT:
Baseline: 4,325 g/L
Design: 977 g/L
ADHESIVES
& SEALANTS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
STRATEGIES:

12. RESOURCES
Leedatx.com
USGBC
Website
usgbc.org/leed
Project Profile
usgbc.org/projects/austin-city-hall
Imagine Austin
Imagine Austin Vision
austintexas.gov/department/imagine-austin
Comprehensive Plan
ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/npzd/ImagineAustin/IACP_corrected2018.pdf
EPA
Waste Reduction Model
epa.gov/warm/versions-waste-reduction-model-warm#WARM Tool V14
GHG Conversion Calculator
epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
Public Works Department
Website
austintexas.gov/department/public-works
PWD Capital Green Infrastructure
austintexas.gov/page/green-capital-improvement-projects
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
Office of the City Architect
Contact Us
pwdcityarchitect@austintexas.gov
Team
Peter Davis, AIA, LEED AP
LEED/Sustainability Project Manager
Peter.Davis@austintexas.gov
Theresa Cascio
Silvia Calderon Laiton
Angela Cai