Kirksey Gives Building Tour and Helps Host LEED Plaque Ceremony for Burnett-Bayland Gym
HOUSTON, TEXAS -- Harris County Precinct 3, together with Kirksey Architecture, held a LEED plaque ceremony and building tour of the Burnett-Bayland Gym, the county’s first LEED Platinum building, on Thursday, May 4th.The gym is the first municipal building on the Texas Gulf Coast to receive the highest certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. It features energy efficient design and the effective use of natural resources – including energy generated by a rooftop solar array and rainwater collected in a 10,000 gallon cistern.
Speakers and county officials in attendance included County Commissioner Steve Radack; Harris County Engineer John Blount; Tom Brooks, the exec. director of Harris County Juvenile Probation Department; USGBC Texas Gulf Coast Chapter Chair David MacLean; Nicola Springer, vice president at Kirksey Architecture; and Kirksey EcoServices team member and architect, Colley Hodges, who led the green building tour.
“This building is much more than a gymnasium. It’s a multi-service facility where 100+ youth are exposed to many positive opportunities,” said Tom Brooks, the Executive Director of the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department.
“They walk onto the basketball court and express amazement at how beautiful the facility is. They treat the gymnasium with respect and see it as a privilege to play in. The Burnett-Bayland gym is an energy-efficient and environmentally designed venue that will bring years of positive entertainment to the community.”
Located at 6500 Chimney Rock Road in Houston, the gym’s achievement of LEED Platinum for New Construction was recognized through its sustainable features including:
GREEN BUILDING FACTS:
- Energy Efficient Design
- Harnessing Free Energy
- Water Efficiency
- Sustainable Site
- Utilizing Natural Resources
- Healthy Indoor Environment