Green Design
Our headquarters received a Gold Rating by the National LEED program as well as a four-star rating by the Austin Energy Green Building Program.
Some "green" features of our building include:
- Providing incentives to encourage employees to carpool, ride bikes to work and use mass transit
- Maximizing use of exterior space for vegetation, using native plants and an efficient water system that will keep water consumption up to 50 percent below average
- Low-flow faucets and toilets to reduce water usage by 30 percent
- Taking extra precautions to ensure adequate storm water management and quality control to capture and use 90 percent of the average annual rainfall on-site
- A glass and steel roof that maximizes natural light and minimizes energy use
- Taking advantage of green power options with Austin Energy to buy energy from environmentally friendly and efficient sources, accounting for 50 percent of the building's non-renewable energy needs
- Reused 95 percent of the building waste during remodeling to minimize impact on local landfills
Many of the green measures we have put into place in the building provide significant savings that impact operating costs. For example, the skylights, efficient lighting and mechanical systems use 30 percent less energy than a conventional office building, thus decreasing our energy costs. In addition, the building features video conferencing technology to allow staff to collaborate with other organizations without incurring travel costs.
These efficient, cost-saving efforts enable us to direct more funds to programmatic activities that positively impact the lives of cancer survivors.
