An evening at the BRIT

The BRIT, The Botanical Research Institute of Texas, is the ONLY LEED Platinum building in Tarrant County and only the second in the entire DFW area.  I won’t go into detail as to what LEED is, if you’re curious to know, please feel free to stroll through my previous blogs for that information.  However, that being said, I think it’s important to point out a few key points that make this building a LEED Platinum Building.  One of our guides, Richard Smart, walked us through the building and explained the wonderful updates they made to the building to achieve their LEED Platinum Certification.  The points that were earned to order to receive that Platinum Certification are:

·         Sustainable Site – the use of LED and Energy efficient fixtures

·         Sustainable Site – low emission vehicles

·         Sustainable Site – the use of a living roof which helps regulate interior temperatures and assists with water run off

·         Sustainable Site – 76% of the prairielands preservation and restoration of the area’s natural eco-system

·         Sustainable Site – the use of rain gardens which collects water from rain to water plants

·         Water Efficiency – recycling water and the use of rain harvesting in a retention pond

·         Water Efficiency – the use of indigenous plants that require less water

·         Water Efficiency – the use of water cisterns which collects rainwater for irrigation

·         Energy & Atmosphere – the use of rooftop solar panels that provides 14% of the building’s electricity

·         Energy & Atmosphere – light colored exterior walls to reflect light and reduce head impact

·         Energy & Atmosphere – the use of geothermal energy which provides 50% of their heating and cooling needs

As you can see, The BRIT has gone to extraordinary lengths to make their facility as sustainable as possible, using LEED as their guide.  However, I would like to point out that this building isn’t a newly built structure.  Their building was originally the Texas Health Records Building, which means this is a re-adaptive architecture project.  Therefore, this is a great example of how one can take an existing building and retrofit it into what you need, and keeping sustainability in mind when doing so. 

Our second guide, Sam Kieschnick, walked us through their botanical research department.  He was an energetic guy who shows a true passion for what he does and enjoys every second of it.  He took us through their library, the plant preservation studio, and the Herbarium.  It was interesting to see how they collect plants from all over the world, and then catalog them into their records.  One interesting fact that really stood out for me is their process of pressing and drying their specimens.  Once they collect the plant, they place it inside a page of newspaper from that country, with the date of collection printed on it, some dating back to the 1920’s, even samples from China and other overseas countries.  This preservation process helps them record where they collected that sample from and when.  Once they dry that specimen, they carefully mount it on a display board and tag it with its species name, the date, the location found and the type of plant that it is.  As we walked into the Herbarium, all we could see were rows and rows of cataloging storage racks.  Another interesting feature, worth mentioning, is the racks ability to slide along a track and stack up next to one another to save space.  In the slide show below, you will have a chance to see these storage racks in action.   

            To have the honor of visiting the BRIT and learning about their everyday practices, as well as their sustainability efforts was definitely one worth remembering.  It’s wonderful to see businesses such as this taking that extra step to provide for a healthier environment.  And as an architecture graduate, it was amazing to see a LEED Platinum building in person.  While it was a true pleasure to experience that space and examine their LEED properties, it saddens me to know that this is the only LEED Platinum building in Tarrant County and only the second in the DFW area.  I think the BRIT has the potential to become a pioneer for the North Texas community, and become the perfect example of “LEED” by example.  I look forward to heading back to the BRIT during Spring Break, once all the vegetation begins to sprout for the first time this year, and get a the chance to view the facility during their peak time of the year as the earth gives birth to a new season.  

References

The BRIT - http://www.brit.org/