2400 Nueces Wins Green Award

If you don't think of Austin as a nexus for sustainable design and construction, a new awards organization intends to change that. The Austin Green Awards (AGA) aim to highlight the next generation of sustainably inspired best practices and heighten the visibility of a broad spectrum of exemplary initiatives in Austin. They have just announced their inaugural recipients, one of which is 2400 Nueces, a high-rise student housing project at The University of Texas designed by Page.

The AGA is Austin’s first recognition program to specifically highlight the outstanding accomplishments in the broad arena of sustainable design and innovation. In its kick-off year, 2016, the Austin green awards focused on buildings and sites, including landscapes and green infrastructure. Subsequent years are envisioned to include other sectors including technology, transportation, industrial design, business and manufacturing.

Having achieved LEED Gold certification, 2400 Nueces is a model of sustainability, not only from an urban design point of view, but also in terms of its energy efficiency and resource utilization. Building performance and energy usage was maximized in all phases of construction and occupancy. Energy efficient practices include optimizing orientation to control solar loads by facing 75% of units north or south, maximizing day lighting and natural ventilation and using a reflective “rainscreen” skin on much of the building.

Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB), the first rating system in the US for evaluating the sustainability of buildings, also recognized 2400 Nueces, awarding it four stars and featuring the project as a case study on their website. To view it, click here. To see an article featuring all winners at The Austin Business Journal click here.