Located in Austin, Texas, a city known for promoting sustainable building practices, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas is designed by Karlsberger to be the first hospital to achieve LEED platinum-level certification. Part of a 700-acre new urbanist development on the Brownfield site of a former municipal airport, 47,000 tons of runway was recycled on-site as backfill, base materials and for asphalt surface parking, and over 34,000 tons of construction debris was diverted from landfills.

Daylight, fresh air, views/access to nature, and indigenous, environmentally-friendly finishes contribute to providing a unique healing environment that is appealing to patients and families, and plays a key role in recruiting and retaining employees. Six courtyards provide natural light to more than 60% of occupied non-exempt spaces and serve as the lungs of the building, providing cooler, cleaner fresh air to right-sized air-handling units throughout the hospital. Finishes include paints and adhesives with low VOC content; linoleum flooring; compressed wheatboard casework; and carpet, ceiling tiles and other interior finishes that either contain recycled content or can be reclaimed rather than going into a landfill.

The most sophisticated green feature is a 4.5 megawatt natural gas-fired Combined Heating Power Plant (CHP) that provides consistent electrical power, critical to operating high-tech equipment at 70% greater efficiency than a comparable coal-fired plant. Steam, a by-product, is used in absorption chillers to supply chilled water for the hospital and surrounding buildings. This cost shifting strategy enabled other sustainable features of the project to be achieved at no additional cost.

Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas and Karlsberger, the architectural firm designing the new hospital, have been awarded the American Institute of Architects Columbus Chapter (AIA Columbus), 2006 Designing Towards Sustainability Award. This annual awards competition honors outstanding sustainable architecture. There are two categories in the competition: unbuilt and completed projects. DCMCCT won in the unbuilt category.