(MCKINNEY, Texas - March 4, 2005) - Construction has begun on the McKinney Green Building, which HDR designed with the goal that it will become the first privately developed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) platinum-rated building in the country.
The platinum rating is the highest available through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). A groundbreaking ceremony for the office building, located in McKinney, Texas, was held on Thursday, February 24.
Many sustainable design principles have been integrated into the design of the building, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2006. For example, it will use 30 percent less water than a typical office building through water-efficient plumbing systems. It will also use 60 percent less energy by using a geothermal heat pump HVAC system, natural daylight, underfloor air distribution and solar hot water heating. In addition, the building's occupants will enjoy a very high indoor air quality by incorporating interior materials with low VOC (volatile organic compound) content, access to natural daylight and carbon dioxide monitoring.
As the first architectural firm to join the USGBC, HDR has been involved with the development and launch of the LEED Green Building Rating System since it began in 1995. Since that time, HDR has registered more than four million square feet of LEED space and ranks among the top firms nationally for total number of LEED Accredited Professionals. HDR successfully incorporates sustainable features on a variety of building types, including laboratories, hospitals, commercial office buildings and government facilities.
HDR is an architectural, engineering and consulting firm that excels at complex projects and solving challenges for clients. More than 3,700 employee-owners, including architects, engineers, consultants, scientists, planners and construction managers, in over 100 locations worldwide, pool their strengths to provide solutions beyond the scope of traditional A/E/C firms.
For more information, review our McKinney Green Building Groundbreaking Handout.