Students collaborate with firm on LEED analysis for ecology center

Last spring, Texas A&M graduate architecture students assisted sustainability specialists at Lake|Flato Architects in San Antonio with evaluating [designs] (http://www.lakeflatodogrun.com/digital-pinup/digital-pin-up-urban-ecology-center-at-hardberger/) for a visitors’ center at [Phil Hardberger Park] (http://www.philhardbergerpark.org/) , a new 311-acre natural area located on the city's north side, for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The park's new 4,000-square-foot [Urban Ecology Center] (http://www.philhardbergerpark.org/urban-ecology-center) , designed to showcase innovative "green" building strategies such as solar power, sustainable building materials and water usage and collection, will be used to educate citizens of all ages about the relationship of nature and the urban environment. It will house office space for park staff, a multipurpose classroom, event hall, and public restrooms.

Students in architectural lighting and green building design classes led by Liliana Beltran, associate professor of architecture, focused on the environmental quality and energy and atmosphere components of the LEED certification process, including the building's use of daylight, its views and connections between indoor and outdoor spaces and energy performance.

To evaluate the building's performance, Beltran said students referenced drawings provided by architects, landscape architects and structural engineers to develop simulations using a variety of software, including Autodesk Ecotect, RADIANCE, eQUEST and DesignBuilder.

The data, she said, was translated to determine the building's photometric and thermal [properties] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photometry_%28optics%29) such as reflectance, transmittance, R-values, and U-factors, which were determined to qualify the structure for LEED credits sought in the two categories.

Throughout the project, students held several online meetings with Lake|Flato's sustainability specialists including Heather Holdridge, who, Beltran said, was so impressed with the students’ work she offered them internships at the firm after the final project review.

The collaboration's success has prompted Beltran to seek additional opportunities for her students to gain practical experience as LEED daylighting and energy consultants.