A LEED Performance Report on the sustainable design and construction of the City of Austin's Asian American Resource Center

1. BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
Asian American Resource Center
LEED Performance Report

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. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Owner: City of Austin Parks Dept.
Architect: Atkins Global
Landscape Architect: BF Collaborative
MEP Engineer: Guerra
Contractor: Flintco
Consultants: Austin Energy & Jacobs

4. 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)

5. ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE
CENTER
8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX, 78754
LEEDv2009 New Construction & Major
Renovations
AWARDED LEED SILVER AUG 2014
ATKINS GLOBAL
Located in the north section of Austin, Texas, Asian American Resource Center is a great, non-profit facility for
people to learn and experience Asian-American culture. The selection of the site, 8401 Cameron Road, is
considered to be near a neighborhood that has the highest density of Asian-American community in Austin. It’s
also adjacent to other city facilities such as Austin Police Department and Austin Health Department. This 13-acre
project is sufficient to accommodate seven full time staff and host over 1,800 visitors during events.
Targeted to LEED Silver certification, the sustainability of this project is achieved in many different ways. To
reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use, the main entrance of the building is placed
within walking distance to Capital Metro routes 485 and 325. New on-site sidewalks and existing public sidewalks
provide further convenience for pedestrians around the building.
This project is also credited with great achievement in water efficiency. To limit disruption and pollution of
natural water flows, a stormwater management plan is implemented to runoff the rain and snow, which also
helps to reduce impervious cover. Interior surfaces are applied with materials such as acrylic coating, which do
not exceed the VOC content limit, to reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating,
and harmful to the comfort and well-being of visitor and employees.

7. ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER
8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX, 78754
LEED SILVER 2014
REDUCES ENERGY CONSUMPTION
1
2
3
This building is on GreenChoice 100% renewable
energy powered by West Texas wind
Energy performance was optimized in heating
and cooling
Localized and user-controlled thermostats and
lighting aid in reducing artificial light use
This annual savings
is equivalent to: 299Metric tons of
GHG emissions
32
Energy consumed
by
Per year
Acres of forest352
Carbon sequestered
by
29 Times
Driving around
Earth
25%REDUCTION
ENERGY USE
28%REDUCTION
ENERGY COST
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
Total Energy Use
Electricity Provided by Austin Energy:
264,377 kWh
Natural Gas:
508,080 kBtu
STRATEGIES:

8. 1
2
3
REDUCES POTABLE WATER USE
The landscaping installed does not require permanent
irrigation systems, and temporary irrigation was
removed less than 18 months after installation
High-efficiency water fixtures allow more water flow
with less energy use and provides a sustainable
alternative to conventional systems
Potable water is a valuable resource that can be
significantly reduced in the design phase of a building
Per year14,116
Drinking water
for
134 Average sized
swimming pools
63,521 Bathtubs
This annual savings
is equivalent to: 2,541kGal of
water
ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER
8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX, 78754
LEED SILVER 2014
40%REDUCTION
INDOOR
POTABLE WATER
USE
71%REDUCTION
IRRIGATION
POTABLE WATER
USE
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
STRATEGIES:

9. 1
2
3
DIVERTS MATERIALS FROM LANDFILL
Minimizing materials going into landfills
through reuse, salvaging, and recycling are
ways to conserve natural resources
Reducing the amount of material needed and
recycling content can significantly decrease waste
Prefabricated components are a great method of
reducing material scraps and packaging
This savings is
equivalent to: 148Metric tons of
GHG emissions
16
Energy consumed
by
Per year
Garbage trucks7
Times
Driving around
Earth
15
ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER
8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX, 78754
LEED SILVER 2014
76%REDUCTION
LANDFILL WASTE
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
STRATEGIES:
Wood
53% 30%
Concrete
8%
Paper
9%
Other
A CLOSER LOOK
AT DIVERTED WASTE:

10. REDUCTION AND REUSE OF MATERIALS
Where does regional material come
from? Over $205,000 of the material is regionally
purchased from within 500 miles of the site
1
2
3
Regionally extracted and manufactured materials include the
total cost of materials within a 500 mile radius
AARC provides appropriately sized dedicated areas for the
collection and storage of materials for recycling, including
cardboard, paper, plastic, glass, and metals
On-site waste and single stream recycling receptacles are
collected by facility staff then taken to collection points
ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER
8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX, 78754
LEED SILVER 2014
23% Regional Material:
$207,440
14% Recycled Material Content:
$126,580
Total material cost:
$829,553
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
STRATEGIES:

11. This savings is
equivalent to:
=
Alternative transportation includes:
5
Metric tons of
CO2 emissions
Fuel-efficient
preferred parking
Miles of commuting
per year
0.7
1,715
PROMOTES ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
1
2
3
5 of the 90 parking spaces are reserved for low-
emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles
Vicinity to public transportation further
promotes alternative methods of travel
No new vehicle parking spaces were added
on-site
ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER
8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX, 78754
LEED SILVER 2014
5.6%
of Parking Reserved for
Alternative Transportation
Alternative Fuel Charging Spaces: 5
Total Parking Spaces:
90
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
What about shared transportation?
STRATEGIES:
There are 4 Capital Metro lines
within ¼ mile of the building.

12. IMPROVES INDOOR EXPERIENCE
Of the regularly occupied
spaces:
1
2
3
Lighting controls are provided to enable 100% of
occupants to make adjustments to suit individual task
needs and preferences
A CO2 sensor is installed within each densely occupied
space to generate an alarm when conditions vary by 10%
or more from the design value
Exposure to ETS-containing air is minimized by prohibiting
smoking within 25 feet of all entries, outdoor air intakes,
and operable windows
ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER
8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX, 78754
LEED SILVER 2014
100%SPACES WITH
INDIVIDUAL
LIGHTING
CONTROLS
75%SPACES WITH
THERMAL
CONTROLS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
STRATEGIES:
93%SPACES WITH
ACCESS TO
VIEWS

13. RESOURCES
Leedatx.com
USGBC
Website
usgbc.org/leed
Project Profile
usgbc.org/projects/asian-american-resource-center-0
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