Architecture firm Lake Flato has designed a building in Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, to reduce its environmental impact and increase its energy efficiency through passive and active system strategies, such as the use of mass timber as the primary structural material, and the building’s orientation to natural light.
The building’s energy consumption is projected to result in an estimated 90 percent savings, compared to baseline expectations for similar buildings. The reduced carbon emissions by Dicke Hall’s mass timber structure will be equivalent to 151 ha (374 acres) of the country’s forest land for one year.
The craft of the mass timber structure pays homage to the campus’s mid-century modern design heritage, extending Trinity’s tradition of sustainable building into the 21st century by incorporating the latest green solutions, sustainability practices, and construction methods.
In the building, 98 percent of the regularly occupied spaces will have access to daylight and views to the outdoors, creating a vibrant, productive environment for university’s humanities department.
Other partners on this project include the construction firm Turner South Texas, landscape architect firm Rialto Studio, and the engineering firms, Integral Group, DCI Engineers, Intelligent Engineering Services, Datum Engineers, Martin/Martin, Inc., and Design Think Consulting.
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