Mueller Center Earns LEED Gold Certification For “Greenness”
Since we’ve been spotlighting the Mueller Austin community for a while now, we know that this planned development is one of the most eco-friendly of its kind. Featuring affordable homes and plenty of public green space, the mixed-use “urban village” is a model for sustainable community design.
When guests and potential residents visit Mueller, they first enter through the Mueller Center which acts the community information center and the Catellus Development Group’s main office. But this is no ordinary welcome center: Catellus recently announced that the Mueller Center has earned LEED® Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The major areas of consideration are: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation/design. Buildings are awarded silver, gold, or platinum ratings based on the number of points they earn toward each category.
Mueller Central earned LEED Gold certification based on a number of features, several of which
relate to the facility’s adaptive reuse construction. Built in the 1930s, the former airport building
played many roles prior to being redesigned for its current use in 1996. Other features contributing to the certification include the building’s use of sustainable bamboo flooring
and doors, drought-tolerant native landscaping, regionally sourced materials, an expansive amount of natural light, individual comfort controls, and highly efficient HVAC and water use equipment.
“Mueller Central is to be commended for achieving LEED® certification. This facility is one that
both the community and its visitors can be proud of,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and
Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. “Mueller Central will be a showcase for high performance, energy-efficient buildings, and an inspiration for others.”
Be sure to stay tuned for more information about this innovative Austin community.
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Tags: green certification, green communities, mueller center
