TOUR: TRWD Annex Building

January 12, 2013



Photo from Steele & Freeman

Our class met with Laura Blaylock at the Tarrant Regional Water District Annex Building.  This 26,000 square foot structure achieved LEED Gold certification in 2009, the first in the county. 

Photo from Steele & Freeman

The Annex has one of the largest roof-mounted solar panel systems in Texas.  With a 16 year payback, the system generates approximately 50-70% of the building's energy.  They also received a rebate from Oncor for the installation of the system. 

Photo from Bennett Benner Pettit Architects + Planners

The building has an energy-efficient lighting system and abundant natural light.  One of the three 2,500-gallon rainwater cisterns is seen here.











Photo from Bennett Benner Pettit Architects + Planners

The cisterns are connected to a drip-irrigation system for landscaping, which features drough-resistant native plants.  Outdoor lighting is also pointed down to prevent unnecessary uplighting.

Photo from Bennett Benner Pettit Architects + Planners

Some sustainability features within the annex include local and recycled materials, no- or low-VOC paints, no-formaldehyde MDF cabinets in the breakroom, and Low-E glazing.  The countertop in the breakroom as well as the exposed concrete floor here (right) are sealed with a beeswax product.  Other flooring in the building includes cork and carpet tiles made from recycled materials.  Additionally, the steel structure of the building contains 40% recycled content.






In addition, the TRWD serves almost 2 million people and so they are very dedicated to various water conservation programs.