A LEED Performance Report on the sustainable design and construction of the City of Austin's Circle C Fire EMS

1. Circle C EMS and Fire Station
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. CIRCLE C EMS and FIRE STATION
South Mopac Expressway, Austin, TX, 78729
LEEDv2.0 New Construction
AWARDED LEED SILVER SEPT 2006
WHITE. DOLCE & BARR ARCHITECTS
The Circle C Fire/EMS station is a four-bay fire station with an integrated EMS unit and living quarters located within a newly
annexed portion of Austin, Texas. The station serves a 24-hour staff of 4 fire and 3 EMS personnel. Capacity is for 15 people
when the new community is populated. Because of its designated response area, the building had to be placed in the
sensitive Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, impacting many of the site development decisions for the project.
Although fire stations are typically placed on 1.5 acre sites in more urban settings, a 9 acre site was purchased to provide a
lower impervious cover percentage and to allow more flexibility in placing the 9,100 sq. ft. structure. To control rain runoff
and minimize water usage, a 17,000 gallon rainwater collection system was provided for irrigation of the landscaping, which
used drought-tolerant native plants. As products of the foundation excavation, much of the stone found in abundance on
the site was used for retaining walls on the sloping site.
Concrete was used for all driveway and parking areas because of its light color and negligible hydrocarbon content.
Designated parking spaces were assigned for carpooling employees, alternative fueling stations were provided for electrical
vehicles and a local artist provided an installation of local stone and plant material for public education about ecology issues.

6. CIRCLE C EMS AND FIRE STATION
South Mopac Expressway, Austin, TX, 78723
LEED SILVER 2006
REDUCES ENERGY CONSUMPTION
This annual savings
is equivalent to: 88 Metric tons of
GHG emissions
10
Energy consumed
by
Per year
Acres of forest104
Carbon sequestered
by
9 Times
Driving around
Earth
25%REDUCTION
ENERGY USE
37%REDUCTION
ENERGY COST
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
1
2
3
This building is on Austin Energy GreenChoice 100%
renewable energy powered by West Texas wind
Optimized energy performance in heating, cooling,
appliances, lighting, and occupancy sensors
Reduce need for electric lighting through use of
natural daylight
Total Energy Use
Electricity Provided by Austin Energy:
59,795 kWh
Natural Gas:
192,539 kBtu
STRATEGIES:

7. REDUCES POTABLE WATER USE
Per year6,153
Drinking water
for
58 Average sized
swimming pools
27,690 Bathtubs
This annual savings
is equivalent to: 1,107kGal of
water
CIRCLE C EMS AND FIRE STATION
South Mopac Expressway, Austin, TX, 78723
LEED SILVER 2006
89%REDUCTION
IRRIGATION
WATER USE
Aside
from reducing
irrigation water use,
Circle C EMS & Fire
Station has a non-
potable water
source
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
1
2
3
Native, drought-tolerant vegetation reduces
irrigation needs and improves microclimate
There is a 15,000 gallon rainwater collection tank on
site that helps to reduce outside-sourced irrigation
water
Drip and conventional spray irrigation systems are
designed to reduce irrigation water
STRATEGIES:

8. DIVERTS MATERIALS FROM LANDFILL
REDUCTION
LANDFILL WASTE
74%
CIRCLE C EMS AND FIRE STATION
South Mopac Expressway, Austin, TX, 78723
LEED SILVER 2006
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
1
2
3
Minimizing materials going into landfills through
reuse, salvaging and recycling are ways to conserve
natural resources
Construction waste is a major element to consider
when diverting materials that go to the landfill
Prefabricated components also reduce the amount of
packing material used in the transportation of a project
STRATEGIES:

9. REDUCTION AND REUSE OF MATERIALS
Where does regional material come
from?
CIRCLE C EMS AND FIRE STATION
South Mopac Expressway, Austin, TX, 78723
LEED SILVER 2006
CERTIFIED
WOOD-BASED
MATERIALS
59%
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
1
2
3
Regionally extracted and manufactured materials include the
total cost of materials within a 500 mile radius
Recycled materials include CMUs, lumber, glass, acoustic
ceiling tiles, paints, containers, carpet, and more
Recycled materials can include materials from the
structural components to the building’s finishes and are
important for preservation of the environment
50.7 Regional Material
28.7% Harvested Regionally
20.6% Recycled Material Content
A portion of the material cost is regionally
purchased from within 500 miles of the site
STRATEGIES:

10. 4 =
Alternative transportation includes:
18,250+1Bicycle stalls Car/vanpool
preferred parking
Miles of commuting
per year
This savings is
equivalent to:
Metric tons of
CO2 emissions7.45
PROMOTES ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
CIRCLE C EMS AND FIRE STATION
South Mopac Expressway, Austin, TX, 78723
LEED SILVER 2006
Bicycle Stalls: 4
Total Building Occupants:
7
57%
of Users have Access to
Bicycle Stalls
1
2
3
4 bike stalls available for 7 occupants
Bike riding uses minimal fossil fuels and is a pollution-
free mode of transportation
By reducing the number of vehicles on the road and the
number of miles traveled, vehicle emissions are significantly
reduced, thus aiding in improving overall air quality
STRATEGIES:
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT

11. IMPROVES INDOOR EXPERIENCE
ADHESIVE
&
SEALANTS
PAINTS
&
COATINGS
CARPET
3 OUT OF 4
CREDITS ACHIEVED
FOR LOW-EMITTING
VOLATILE ORGANIC
COMPOUND (VOC)
CONTENT
CIRCLE C EMS AND FIRE STATION
South Mopac Expressway, Austin, TX, 78723
LEED SILVER 2006
92%SPACES WITH
ADEQUATE
DAYLIGHT
92%SPACES WITH
ACCESS TO
VIEWS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
OFFICE OF THE CITY ARCHITECT
1
2
3
Space mounted CO2 sensors monitor space CO2 levels to
ensure that ventilation systems maintain design
minimum ventilation requirements
Sleeping and common areas, and the combined EMS area
are all equipped with a programmable thermidistat for
controlling both temperature and humidity
91.9% of critical visual task areas have direct access to
daylight and views to the outdoors
STRATEGIES:

12. RESOURCES
Leedatx.com
USGBC
Website
usgbc.org/leed
Project Profile
usgbc.org/projects/circle-c-fire-and-ems-station
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