Ronald McDonald House Charities Austin

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Ronald McDonald House Charities Austin
Central Texas
The Ronald McDonald House is on track to receive
LEED Platinum status, the highest level of green
building recognized by the U.S. Green Building
Council
LEED promotes a whole-building approach to
sustainability by recognizing performance in six
key areas of human and environmental health. The
new Ronald McDonald House excels in all six key
areas.
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What is LEED?

• The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
  (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the
  nationally accepted benchmark for the design,
  construction, and operation of high performance
  green buildings. LEED gives building owners and
  operators the tools they need to have an
  immediate and measurable impact on their
  buildings performance.
• Idea formulated in 1993
• First version released Aug. 1998
• Current version (2.2, Oct. 2005)

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What is LEED?

• LEED provides a roadmap for measuring and
  documenting success for every building type and
  phase of a building lifecycle. Specific LEED
  programs include
• New Commercial Construction and Major Renovation
  projects
• Existing Building Operations and Maintenance
• Commercial Interiors projects
• Core and Shell Development projects
• Homes
• Neighborhood Development
• Guidelines for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus
  Building projects
• LEED for Schools
• LEED for Retail

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What is LEED?

• LEED promotes a whole-building approach to
  sustainability by recognizing performance in six
  key areas of human and environmental health
• Sustainable Site
• Water Efficiency
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation and Design Process

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What is LEED Certification?

• A project is a viable candidate for LEED
  certification if it can meet all prerequisites
  and achieve the minimum number of points to earn
  the Certified Level of LEED certification.
• To earn certification, a building project must
  meet certain pre-requisites and performance
  benchmarks (credits) within each category.
  Projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or
  Platinum certification depending on the number of
  credits they achieve. This comprehensive
  approach is the reason LEED-certified buildings
  have reduced operating costs, contributed to the
  health and productivity of the occupants, and
  conserved our natural resources.

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What is LEED Certification?

• The LEED Rating System is based on points that
  can be earned in the following categories
  mentioned earlier
• Sustainable site diminish impact of location
  and modification of land
• Water Efficiency reduction and wise use of
  water resources
• Energy and Atmosphere preserve ozone and reduce
  reliance on energy grid
• Materials and Resources recycled, renewable,
  and regional materials
• Indoor Environmental Quality lower air
  pollution, raise comfort level
• Innovation in Design reserved for new
  developments not yet in LEED system

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What is LEED Certification?

• Four Levels of Certification
• Certified 26-32 points
• Silver 33-38 points
• Gold 39-51 points
• Platinum 52-69 points
• RMHC is on track to be a LEED Platinum Building
  with 54 points

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LEED Monetary Cost/Benefit

• Benefits
• Higher initial cost leads to greatly reduced
  long-term operating costs.
• Greatest savings is in energy consumption
  (Electricity either generated on site or used
  more wisely)
• Reduced resource use (Water reuse within site
  and decreased dependence)
• Waste management cost reduction (Due to recycling
  practices and resource use)

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LEED Monetary Cost/Benefit

• Benefits
• Capital gains that stem from a better environment
• Increases in employee productivity (Due to a more
  comfortable and healthy work environment
  leading to fewer sick days, more wisely used
  time, and fewer complaints)
• Healthier House for healthy families

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Environmental Benefits

• LEEDs major focus
• Positively affects virtually all areas of the
  natural environment.
• Space/Land Preservation and maintenance
• Reduction in use of natural resources (Fresh
  Water, Coal in electricity production, Oil and
  Petroleum)
• Reversal of existing damage (reclamation of
  unsuitable land, use of recycled and reusable
  materials Cutback of waste in landfills)

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Environmental Benefits

• LEEDs major focus
• Prevention of further damage to the environment.
• Fewer greenhouse gasses
• Less pollution (chemical- and light-based)
• Improved waste management and recycling
• Conservation of existing resources (Through use
  of renewable materials and energy sources)
• Many more including no ozone depletion, no off
  gassing, and reduced heat island effect

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Ronald McDonald House Charities Austin Central
Texas

• Ronald McDonald House Charities is committed to
  providing nurturing programs and a supportive
  home-like environment where families stay
  together while their child receives treatment in
  Austin area medical centers. RMHC addresses the
  need for family members to be near one another
  during medical crisis and for the parents to
  provide their children with comfort and assurance
  during difficult times. In addition to this
  support, RMHC offers the following services
• Safe and affordable lodging
• Lunch and dinner provided by volunteers
• Laundry facilities and computer access
• Transportation assistance to Austin area
  medical centers
• Community assistance programs Burial
  Assistance, Scholarships, Non-
• profit grants, Bereavement Counseling

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RMHC

• The focus of the architectural concept is
  creation of a soothing and welcoming environment
  with minimum impact on our environment. This
  house will serve Central Texas families when
  their child is receiving treatment in an Austin
  area medical center.
• Location Austin, TX
• Building type(s) Multi-housing
• New construction
• Gross area 28,500 sq. feet
• Project scope 4-story building
• Urban setting
• Targeted LEED Rating LEED-NC, v2.1--Level
  Platinum

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General Concepts
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and
Central Texas is comprised of 30 guestrooms,
multi-use common areas and administrative
offices. The House opened December 17,
2007. The focus of the architectural concept is
to create a soothing and welcoming atmosphere,
providing comfort to the families of children
being treated at Austin area medical centers.
Guestrooms include a private porch/balcony with
the most efficient yet comfortable living space
for the unsettled mind. Special considerations
were made to minimize the impact on the
environment throughout the design process.
Gentle curved wings serve as embracing forms in
contrast to the harsh rectilinear outer
environment. The Ronald McDonald House is
designed to be an oasis for the families when
they have a child in an Austin area medical
center. After long, restless days in the
hospital, guests find a place to recharge and
relax in the House. This is our architectural
goal for the Ronald McDonald House on the campus
of the new Dell Childrens Medical Center.
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Site Strategies

• Brownfield Redevelopment
• Rehabilitates damaged site to reduce
• pressure on undeveloped land.
• Development Density
• Channels development to urban areas
• with existing infrastructure to preserve
• undeveloped natural habitats and resources.
• Urban density further offers occupants close
• proximity to a variety of services.
• Alternative Transportation
• Access to alternative modes of
• transportation reduces pollution
• and land development impact
• from automobile use.

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Site Design

• Pervious Impervious Cover
• Density and reduction of impervious footprint
  allows more open space to promote biodiversity
  while controlling stormwater runoff and reducing
  water pollution.

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Site Design

• Heat Island Effect
• High -albedo concrete surfaces and Hydrotech
  extensive green roof systems reduce the
  amount of heat that would reflect from the
  surfaces.
• Trellises and natural vegetation act as
  shading devices that further reduce heat
  islands, thus minimizing impact on microclimate
  and human and wildlife inhabitants.
• Light Pollution Reduction
• Minimizing site lighting and controlling
  reflectivity off building surfaces reduces
  sky-glow to increase nighttime visibility and
  reduce impact on nocturnal environment.

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Site Development

• Construction Pollution
• Controlling soil erosion, waterway
• sedimentation and airborne dust
• generation on construction sites
• reduces pollution.

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Water Efficiency

• Landscaping
• Native and adaptive plants
• selected for the site require
• little or no supplemental
• watering.
• A high efficiency irrigation
• system, combining drip irrigation
• and a central control system,
• will irrigate the entire site using
• municipally supplied reclaimed
• water. The combination greatly
• reduces the amount of water
• used on the site as well as
• reduces potable water
• consumption by 100.
• Water-use Reduction
• Low-flow plumbing and high-efficiency fixtures
  reduce the amount of water used by 30.

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Energy Efficient Design and Construction

• Building Form and Orientation
• The form of the building as well as its
  orientation respond to environmental conditions
  of
• the site by taking advantage of the
  controllable exposure of northern and southern
  light
• and reducing heat gain from harsh eastern and
  western sun exposure. The reduction of
• heat gain thus reduces the amount of energy
  needed to condition the building.
• Shading devices are strategically placed
• above fenestration to allow optimum
• natural day-lighting while minimizing the
• amount of heat gain from direct sunlight.
• The reduced need for artificial lighting
• within the building further reduces energy use.
  
• Efficient Construction
• The use of appropriate insulative materials
• as well as diligence in properly sealing any
• perforations in the building envelope reduce
• the energy required to operate the building.

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Energy Efficient Systems

• Solar Panels
• 54 Photovoltaic solar panels are integrated on
  the
• rooftop trellis. The 10.8kW solar array will
  power up
• to 15 rooms in the House as well as offset over
  30,000
• pounds of carbon dioxide anually.
• The solar array, including installation funds,
  were
• donated by Green Mountain Energy Company,
  through
• its Big Texas Sun Club.

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Energy Efficient Systems

• HVAC
• Combined Heating and Plumbing
• (CHP) Methodology
• RMHC is one of the first to utilize this system,
  
• which allowed the buildings documented
• energy cost savings to increase from 47 to
• just over 65 energy savings.
• The system has a dedicated outdoor air handling
• unit that provides the entire buildings
  ventilation
• air along with 30 outside air during hot and
  humid conditions.
• The centralized ventilation system allows for
  energy recovery from the buildings general
  exhaust systems as well as centralizing a
  location for the monitoring of building humidity
  and CO2 levels.
• Guestroom Key Switch
• Each guestroom has a dedicated 4-pipe
  (chilled/heating water) fan coil unit, which
  resides in unoccupied mode until activated by a
  room key into occupied mode. This prevents
  unnecessary energy use during unoccupied periods
  while allowing the system to remain active in a
  reduced capacity.

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Recycled Materials

• Recycled Steel
• Primary structure and wall systems
• Recycled, highly available
• Available within 500 mile radius of site
• Recycled Fly Ash Concrete
• Foundation and floor systems
• 40 reduction of Portland cement
• required for the project.
• Available within 500 mile radius of site
• Cultured Synthetic Stone
• Exterior Veneer
• Lightweight (1/4th that of natural stone)
  therefore
• eliminated need for additional structural
  support
• Contains recycled fly ash
• Requires no further chemical finishing or
  maintenance

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Waste Management

• Construction Waste
• The implementation of waste management
• program for the construction project yields
• at least a 75 diversion of construction waste
• from the landfill.
• Emphasis on clean construction not only
• decreases material waste but also decreases
• cost of liability and safety hazards.
• Monitoring of indoor air quality, climate
  conditions,
• as well as the transportation, delivery and
  storage
• of building materials assures protection of
  materials
• and minimization of construction waste.
• Occupational Waste
• Appropriate collection and storage areas for the
• recycling of non-hazardous materials is provided
  
• for the reduction of waste from the buildings
• occupants.

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Lighting Quality

• Daylighting
• Guestrooms designed with widows to both
• the North and South to allow ample natural
• daylight into the space and reduce need for
• artificial lighting. The rooms are designed
• with varied light sources to allow for ambient,
• or task lighting conditions.
• The fenestration of the building is designed so
• that its occupants are readily connected to the
• park-like exterior spaces or the Childrens
  Medical
• Center.
• The four-floor core of the building is designed
  to
• act as a light-well, providing the internal
  spaces
• with natural daylight.
• Shading structures are placed appropriately over
• fenestration throughout the building to control
  light
• infiltration throughout the day.

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Thermal Quality

• Guestrooms, as previously mentioned,
• are equipped with individual Key Switches
• which activate the HVAC system when the
• unit is occupied. The Key switch allows the
• occupant to Individually control the
• temperature and thermal quality as desired.
• Fenestration is provided throughout the
• occupied spaces of the building to allow
• for natural ventilation.
• Natural and architectural shading devices
• are located throughout the site to create
• comfortable microclimates for the
• buildings occupants

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Air Quality

• Ventilation
• RMHC is equipped with a dedicated outdoor air
  handling unit. The centralized ventilation system
  allows for energy recovery from the buildings
  general exhaust systems as well as centralizing a
  location for the monitoring of building humidity
  and CO2 levels.
• The buildings fenestration is designed to allow
  natural ventilation through interior spaces.
• Low VOC emitting materials and finishes are used
  throughout the building to ensure hazardous
  particles and toxic off-gassing is not released
  in the air.

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• Innovation
• The Combined Heating and Power HVAC system used
  in RMHC is one of the first of its kind. In
  order to utilize the CHP Methodology, RMHC was
  required to connect to the Austin Energy District
  Chilled Water Loop. The connection coordination
  and the rate negotiations were a bit of uncharted
  territory for the Team and Austin Energy, due to
  the unique set up. Together the RMHC Team and
  Austin Energy managed to work out the logistics
  and the CHP Methodology documentation was
  submitted and awarded 10 points under EAC1.
• Education
• RMHC stands not only to fulfill the individual
  and delicate needs of its occupants, but also to
  serve its community as a whole. This project is
  a valuable educational tool to inform and
  encourage sustainable practice and environmental
  responsibility.

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L E E D LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY ENVIRONMENTAL
DESIGN
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Ronald McDonald House Charities Austin
Central Texas
1315 Barbara Jordan Blvd Austin, TX
78723 512-472-9844 www.rmhc-austin.org