Historic Dallas High School Scores LEED Gold Certification
Merriman Anderson/Architects acted as the design architect, historic architect and architect of record for the building shell and interior restoration, including the LEED certification process.
By Anca Gagiuc
Merriman Anderson/Architects-designed Dallas High School has achieved LEED Gold certification. The property also won a 2018 Preservation Dallas Achievement Award, which honors Dallas’ residential and commercial historic preservation projects and the individuals who are committed to protecting the city’s architectural heritage.
The 102,000-square-foot, four-story building constructed in 1907 sat empty for about two decades. Under Matthews Southwest’s ownership, the property was redeveloped into 78,000 square feet of historically converted office space, along with 10,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and outdoor patio space. MAA is the design architect, historic architect and architect of record for the building shell and interior restoration, including the LEED certification process.
To achieve the LEED Gold status, MAA used sustainable site and material strategies, as well as envelope improvements to optimize energy efficiency: “With the envelope and lighting improvements, combined energy savings improved by more than 21.9 percent,” Aimee Sanborn, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, principal & team leader at Merriman Anderson/Architects, said in a prepared statement.
Sustainable strategies
To improve environmental health throughout the building, MAA installed low-emitting materials. More than 99.6 percent of the existing core and shell were reused and products containing recycled content were installed to keep the amount of construction waste to the minimum.
Other site strategies include the abatement of contaminants in the existing building; installation of native vegetation with drip irrigation and priority parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as on-site electric charging stations. Highly reflective TPO roofing membrane, an efficient HVAC system and LED lighting further improve the building’s energy efficiency. The installation of low-flow fixtures has reduced the potable water use by more than 49 percent.
Images courtesy of Merriman Anderson/Architects
