Click to view more photos of Block 21
At the heart of Austin’s ultra-hip 2nd Street District, mixed-use high-rise development Block 21 celebrated its first anniversary this month. The development consists of a 37-story, 1-million-square-foot building anchored by the W Austin Hotel and Residences at Austin. It has provided a new home for Austin City Limits Live and includes restaurants, a spa and commercial office space.
Aware of Austin’s dedication to green building, the owners (Stratus Properties and the Canyon Johnson Urban Fund II) built the development with a “goal of combining high style with a sustainable urban lifestyle and reduced environmental footprint.” Their efforts were rewarded recently, when they received news that the development had been awarded SILVER certification under the LEED for New Construction by the Green Building Certification Institute.
View a time lapse video of the W Hotel construction:
Some impressive facts that contributed to this award are included in the Block 21 Sustainability Case Study prepared by the owners.
Commuting
Folks are only a few blocks away from six different bus stops, where an astounding 420 rides per day are accessible. Plenty of bike storage (for residents) and bike racks are available, alternative transportation is promoted through discounts on valet for guests, and residents receive complementary Car-2Go memberships. If your destination is anywhere in the downtown area, there is always the option to simply walk.
Building Design
The architectural design was careful to avoid dark-colored, non-reflective, heat absorbing materials in order to avoid the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which results in warmer ground level conditions, higher energy usage and compromised air quality. In order to prevent UHI, parking is included underground, all paved surfaces are made of light-colored and reflective materials, and the roof is made of highly-reflective roofing material.
Water
Water conservation was highly prioritized by the owners and the design team. High-performance toilets, showerheads and low-flow lavatory fixtures are used in the guestrooms, residences and hotel restrooms resulting in impressive interior water savings. Outdoors, the landscaped areas use drought-resistant plants, which results in massive water savings.
Energy
High performance lighting, glazing, and insulation were used in the design to reduce energy use and air conditioning loads. LED lights are used in at ACL Live, which offer huge energy savings while maintaining high quality lighting expected at such a venue. A Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration system was installed to “eliminate ozone-depleting refrigerants while enhancing energy performance.”
Materials
The Block 21 design team was sure to recycle from the beginning of the project and continues to do so. Seventy-five percent of construction debris was recycled, avoiding a certain trip to the next landfill. Recycling receptacles for plastics, metals, paper, cardboard and glass are provided to all building occupants.
Congratulations to the Block 21 Design Team and their Silver LEED achievement!
Andersson-Wise Architects Architect of Record
BOKA Powell
Structural Engineer
Thornton Tomassetti
Civil Engineer
Bury+Partners
Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Engineer
JJA Inc.
Interior Design
Stratus Properties Inc.
Talley Associates
Lighting Design
Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design
Sustainable Design / LEED® Consultant
Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems
Commissioning Authority
ACR Engineering Inc.
Contractor
Austin Building Company
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