Kirksey’s Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA project was nominated for the ULI Award of Distinction in the Not-for-Profit category.

With each new project brings a story that makes a building more than just a space. Whether it’s an innovative design or a budget-saving technique, every project has history. Here’s a video that explains the story behind the YMCA project: A Window to the Community.

http://vimeopro.com/user4869809/2012-awards-of-distinction#/video/35280159

Things have been rocky, to say the least, in the job market, but Houstonians can breath a sigh of relief with the release of the Brookings Institute report showing Houston as the top performing city in North America! Check it out here:

http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2012/0118_global_metro_monitor.aspx

Kirksey EcoServices assisted TSTC and its project team during the design and construction of the South Texas Education Partnership’s Multi-Institution Teaching Center, after they decided to attempt LEED Certification. The facilities department worked tirelessly with the design and construction teams to achieve this goal. The $7-million design-build project is slated to receive LEED-Gold certification because of the inclusion of many green features.

One of the ‘greenest’ attributes occurred because TSTC petitioned the Lower Rio Grand Development council to extend two bus lines and add another bus stop, to give the site access to 2 lines.  In addition, a cool roof reflects sun’s heat, a detention pond minimizes storm water runoff from the site, low flow water closets, faucets, and ‘pint urinals’ significantly reduce water usage. The project has employed many energy saving devices, such as an energy recovery unit, efficient mechanical systems and highly efficient lighting. The building has been designed to be 38% more efficient than the energy code requires. Finally, a solar panel array generates 106 kilowatts of electricity for the building. It is estimated that this will provide almost 20% of the buildings electricity.

Key Players

Owner: Texas State Technical College, Harlingen, Texas

General Contractor: SpawGlass Contractors, Harlingen, Texas

Lead Design: ERO Architects, McAllen, Texas

Civil: Halff Associates, McAllen, Texas

Structural: Green, Rubiano & Assoc., Harlingen

MEP: Halff Associates, McAllen, Texas

LEED Consultant: Kirksey Architects, Houston

Commissioning Agent: Cleary Zimmerman, San Antonio

http://texas.construction.com/texas_construction_projects/2011/1212-texas-state-technical-college-university-center-harlingen-texas-.asp

Career Girls is an organization dedicated to providing young girls of all income levels and ethnic backgrounds with the academic tools and support they need to achieve their professional aspirations. They interviewed Kirksey’s very own, Nicola Springer, Vice President and pK-12 Team Leader, about her day-to-day activities and responsibilities as an architect. Check it out!

http://www.careergirls.org/careers/architect

Check out Kirksey’s own Kristen Johnson as she shares what inspires her as an interior designer, some things she can’t live without, and her own personal design style.

http://www.chron.com/default/article/Interior-designer-Kristen-Johnson-shares-her-2237890.php#photo-1701681

I had never heard of John Picard before today. He’s got an incredible story that begins with designing custom homes for the extravagantly wealthy and eventually leads to consulting presidents, major corporations, and the USGBC about sustainable development. This video link below gives a brief snapshot of what sparked the transformation in his perspective and shares his insights about the future of sustainable design.

Video: The Green Prophet by Eastman Innovation Lab

“With the help of BMW i, we’re proud to present the Gizmodo Guide to Green Luxury. Last week we featured a whole slew of eco-fabulous ways for you to trot the globe. Today we’re bringing green glamour a little closer to home—your actual home, to be exact. Below you’ll find some examples of sumptuous sustainable architecture, Earth-hugging home goods, and an assortment of gadgets that will keep you living lavishly—and responsibly.”

http://gizmodo.com/5844593/home-is-where-the-gizmodo-guide-to-green-luxury-is

Do you go on a trek without any water? Or play soccer without guards? No – that’s because you want to be prepared. And yet, I see millions of us repeating the same mistake. Well, if you consider it one. So, full of ignorance of some of the mechanisms involved and with deepest skepticism, I asked myself when I saw it for the first time:

Why are these guys making a house of wood?

In my past six years of residing in the Gulf Coast area, it was just recently that I ‘witnessed’ wildfires. A little online search shows how minimally susceptible counties like Magnolia or Bastrop are to seasonal wildfires, and yet, hundreds were affected this year due to the draught. We heard of countless measures to mitigate the effect of the wildfires; some really innovative like installing sprinklers on roofs! But the curious mind questions again:

Could these have been avoided?

http://www.khou.com/younews/129298518.html?img=1&mg=t

The hurricane season is not over this year and there are many more hurricane seasons to come. It’s not long before we see another Ike or Katrina-like bully come KNOCKING at the door. Now if it’s the door of my rented apartment, I may look for shelter somewhere else. However, if it’s going to be my dream house in Houston or Galveston, I better consider the quality of my door when I build the house. So, as difficult as it may be to avoid these, another question is thrown at my face:

Is there a way to build my house that withstands hurricanes?
(earthquakes and tornadoes too!!)

Well, earthquakes and tornadoes may not be a problem of the Gulf Coast but lets just consider them for the sake of my superstitions. Now spending more capital is an answer to all of the above questions. However, dollars remain short in supply for some mysterious reason (even though the Federal Government has printed more money in the last 5 years than it did in the 50 before). So spending capital is not a realistic answer.

Let me devote my subsequent mutterings to finding the answers to the above questions. Stay tuned!

In honor of the10-year anniversary of 9/11, WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

See the World Trade Center construction site from high atop NYC’s Financial District, giving you a birds-eye view of the rebuilding efforts. Click on Cam 1 to view the construction progress in either Live mode or Time-Lapse mode (choose either option at top left of image).

World Trade Center construction site

Yes, you read that correctly, and we couldn’t be more thrilled!

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2011 green buildings ranking of American cities, Houston is #1 in Texas and #7 nationally. This is quite an accomplishment for the city deemed the “energy capital” of the U.S.

Laura Spanjian, Sustainability Director for the City of Houston, presented yesterday at the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit, where she spoke about Houston’s Energy Efficiency in Buildings program and gave an update on the City’s efforts to improve not only City buildings, but also those in the private sector. Additionally, she detailed Mayor Annise Parker’s Green Office Challenge, which is a friendly competition for commercial property managers and office tenants that acknowledges participants’ achievements in greening their operations through Mayoral and media recognition.

Kirksey is excited to be part of such an important achievement for our city. For more on our contributions toward a greener city, check out our LEED® milestones and some of our LEED projects.

Congrats, Houston!