Read the complete article originally published in aisc.org.
Overview
Director of Sustainability Dirk Kestner demonstrates how the firm is raising the sustainability bar in the November issue of Modern Steel Construction.
“The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) is a not-for-profit research facility that provides analysis on energy, air and water issues in buildings. Its mission is to contribute to a “sustainable future in which people thrive and nature flourishes.” HARC collaborates with universities, private organizations, governmental agencies and community groups to develop solutions to environmental issues and affect policy related to sustainability.
HARC’s original campus, built in the 1980s, no longer supported this mission. Furthermore, many of its offices did not have access to daylight and it did not provide an inspiring work environment. HARC sought to build a new headquarters that directly reflected its mission and serve as a living example for regionally appropriate sustainable design in the Gulf Coast region. It was also essential that the design respect the financial realities of a not-for-profit research institution. Gensler was selected as the prime architect and from the earliest stages of design, facilitated fully integrated planning sessions with the full ownership and design team, including structural engineer Walter P Moore.”
