October 2009 Newsletter
AirBorn, Inc. Project Promotes a Greener Future for Georgetown
Moman Architects is providing all architectural, planning and interior design services for AirBorn, Inc.’s new office and manufacturing facility in Georgetown, TX. The global company makes electronic components for the aerospace, avionics, defense, energy, medical and automotive industries with manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
With a budget of nearly $8 million for the over 58,000 square foot structure, the AirBorn project will become Williamson County’s first LEED building seeking Silver certification, as well as Moman Architects’ first complete LEED project. The award-winning firm is well-prepared for this environmentally healthy building challenge as several of their architects are LEED accredited including project manager, Shawn Gillen. Collaborative partners include Raymond Construction, Hendrix Consulting Engineers, Boyer and Associates and FHI Engineering.
The modern, energy efficient facility broke ground in July 2009 and will be completed in spring, 2010.
LEED Building a Greener Future
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC) provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Since its inception in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass more than 14,000 projects in the United States and 30 countries.
LEED-certified buildings are designed to:
- Lower operating costs and increase asset value
- Reduce waste sent to landfills
- Conserve energy and water
- Health and safety for occupants
- Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions
- Qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentives
- Demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship
In Central Texas, Austin has 20 LEED certified buildings including the Dell Children’s Hospital, the first hospital in the world to receive a prestigious Platinum certification and Office Depot.
The LEED rating system has devised checklists for all types of projects that are seeking certification and include the following areas sustainability, water efficiency, energy, materials, indoor environmental quality, innovation and design process. Click here to view the rating system.
Note: Information for this article was obtained from United States Green Building Council, usgbc.org and Wikipedia, wikipedia.org.