TOUR: BRIT

January 5, 2013



Photo from BRIT

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) is a $48 million LEED Platinum building, the first in Tarrant County and only the eighth in Texas.  BRIT's mission reflects that of research, conservation and reusing natural resources.  The organization studies plants in an effort to solve more global issues, such as pollution, hunger and water shortages.  This 70,000 square foot structure seems to visually represent their mission.




The 5.2 acre site is restored prairie.  The design and construction team demolished a health services building that sat on the north edge of the site, and restored over 76% of the site to natural habitat (the LEED requirement is 50%).  And although demolition does not necessarily seem "sustainable" and "green," the team disassembled the building part-by-part, and almost 98% of the building was reused and recycled.  This site also features low-maintenance native plants, and irrigation for the landscaping is supplied by rainwater cisterns as well as the retention pond.  The pond collects rainwater and runoff from the parking lot and is designed to remove silt and pollution from the surface runoff water.

Photo from H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture

The vegetative roof is also a major feature of the building.  The living roof supports the local ecosystem, helps to insulate the building, limits rainwater runoff, and is durable.   









The 51.87 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic panels are installed on the roof of the Archive Block (see image below).  The 285 panel system covers 5,943 square feet and meets approximately 16% of the building's annual electric demand (a savings of about $37,000 per year).  The remainder of the roof is a white, reflective surface.  Other site features, as seen in the image below, include LED parking lot lighting, low-emissions vehicle parking, and the location of the 166 geothermal wells which supply a majority of the building's heating and cooling.




Photo from BRIT



Photo from Beck. Aerial Photography, Inc.

The design of the building is very important, especially when speaking to energy efficiency.  The photo (left) is facing north.  The tilt-up concrete walls shield much of the eastern, western and southern exposures.  The vast amount of windows on the north side of the building allow for great natural light without the heat gain from direct sunlight.  The strategic placement of windows allow access to light and views.








Photo from H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture

Natural sunlight penetrates more than 75 percent of the building.

 





 



Photo from H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture

The interior of the building features many recycled and sustainable materials, such as bamboo ceiling (seen in the above photo of the office space), linen and paper wall coverings, wool carpet, recycled rubber flooring, and recycled sheetrock was used for ceiling tiles and gypsum board.  Materials with recycled content were used for over 20% of the building materials in this project.  Structural steel, steel pipes and other metal products are some of the most significant recycled content materials at BRIT.  And the cypress wood that is cladding for the wall (right) at the entrance lobby actually fell from logging barges more than 100 years ago and was reclaimed and produced into panels.

 



BRIT also features low-flow plumbing features, low VOC paints and flooring, wall insulation that is made from sand and post-consumer recycled glass bottles, and staff that mostly bike to work.