Austin Community College – San Gabriel Campus

Building Materials: During construction, we recycled 725 tons of construction waste, resulting in 95% diversion of construction waste and earning us an exemplary performance LEED credit. Approximately 15 percent of building material used was made from recycled content and 20 percent was sourced from Texas, reducing transportation emissions and supporting the local economy. Nearly all the wood in the building was sourced from sustainably-managed forests.

Water: To underscore the priority of project sustainability, the owner provided a directive to the team to be good stewards of the water on site. Three 30,000-gallon water collection tanks were custom-designed to mimic the look of old grain silos. A siphonic system feeds the tanks via aqueducts for rainwater storage as well as stormwater retention capacity. Bio-retention ponds known as ‘rain gardens’ provide additional stormwater retention capacity throughout the site in lieu of a single, concentrated detention pond.

Additional Features: The campus is also equipped with solar panels, automatic motorized sunshades, electric car charging stations as well as bike racks, bike lanes, bike repair station, storage, lockers, and a shower.