Construction Materials and Design Stress Energy Efficiency
The facade of the school is making use of many recycled materials, including: flyash (a waste byproduct of coal-burning power plants) in place of Portland cement; aluminum panels made from 92 percent recycled material; wood siding made of sinker cypress hauled from the bottom of the Mississippi River; and red bricks reclaimed from a 19th century warehouse in San Antonio.
The new building will benefit from important features designed to reduce energy consumption to 46 percent less than current energy codes.
- Innovative use of natural daylight, new techniques in window glazing and sun control devices, an under-floor air distribution system, and individualized temperature controls are all integrated into the design.
- Water-recovery tanks and troughs will collect rainwater from the roof and sides of the building to make the facility largely self-sufficient for the estimated 42,000 gallons it will use each month for irrigation and toilet flushing.
- The building is even designed to accommodate a future on-site waste treatment unit targeting zero discharge to City sewer systems, and a roof-mounted photovoltaic system for on-site power generation.
"The construction costs of 'going green' typically run two percent to five percent higher than a conventional building," campus architect Rives Taylor said. "However, many improvements repay their costs within a few years via energy savings--just as this building is projected to operate 50-60 percent more efficiently than a traditional classroom building in Houston."