Jun 2 2008
Corgan Associates, Inc., one of the 10 largest U.S. based architectural firms focused exclusively on design, has been officially awarded LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its new headquarters building, located in the Dallas' Central Business District. LEED is the USGBC's leading rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy efficient and high-performing buildings. Corgan is now the first architectural firm in Texas to have constructed its own ground-up LEED-certified building. Corgan's headquarters is also the first newly constructed, privately-owned office building in Dallas to achieve this certification.
The new LEED-certified headquarters has become an educational space for Corgan's clients, illustrating aspects of sustainable design as it applies to LEED certification. Clients are able to tour the space, ask questions and gain knowledge from Corgan's first-hand experience with the process. Corgan's new headquarters is the perfect case study for the firm's client base, as they experienced the viewpoints of both owner and designer during project development, weighing the cost/benefit effectiveness from both sides.
"We learned a lot during the design process from our dual role as designer and client," Corgan President David Lind said. "We knew we wanted to design an environmentally-conscious building to attain LEED certification, not simply because it is socially responsible, but because effective green design is functional and cost-efficient."
Lind continued, "It is an incredible honor to be the first architecture firm in Texas to be awarded LEED certification for our new headquarters, recognizing Corgan's commitment to the environment."
Examples of Corgan's sustainable design decisions can be seen throughout the building. First, the new headquarters is located on a brownfield site &ndash an environmentally conscious strategy that rehabilitated previously used land and reduced overall environmental impacts.
Corgan also chose indigenous vegetation and other water-conscious landscaping to reduce water consumption. A cistern was provided to collect rainwater that can be re-used for irrigation. Corgan's innovative strategies have helped reduce water required for landscaping by more than 50 percent.
A wide variety of renewable and recycled building materials were incorporated in to the project. Locally manufactured materials were selected, when possible, to support the regional economy and reduce the environmental impact of transportation. To further facilitate waste reduction, Corgan coordinated building construction with the storage and collection of recyclables.
Daylight and open studio spaces were introduced to connect both indoor and outdoor environments. This design strategy immeasurably enhances the day-to-day atmosphere in the workplace while reducing energy consumption within the interior work space studios.
Accessibility to public transportation encourages environmentally responsible behavior, reduces energy consumption, and minimizes vehicular traffic. Other amenities include bicycle storage, changing facilities and an alternative fuel source.