The madness of our first Saturday - sustainable style! :)

Jim Johnson , Director of Downtown Development/TIF District

Our Saturday to remember began with a guest speaker, Jim Johnson who is the Director of Downtown Development and TIF District for The Downtown Forth Worth, Inc.  Downtown Fort Worth, Inc was formed in 1981 to revitalize unsightly areas of downtown Fort Worth, which has since formed the TIF, The Downtown Tax Increment Financing District, in 1996.  “The TIF is managed by Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and has funded a wide variety of projects and initiatives, from free parking downtown to streetscape and facade improvements.” Mr. Johnson explained the company’s Public Policy with respect to Sustainability as focusing on issues such as water use (storm water runoff), transportation, building codes, and zoning.  And some of the problems they address are:

1.       Master Thoroughfares

2.       Parking regulations

3.       Traffic regulations

4.       Maintaining Streets

5.       Transportation

6.       Regulating Streets and directing traffic flow

a.       Encouraging more foot traffic vs car traffic

b.      Moving towards a design concept called the Complete Street

c.       Controlling street expansion which can lead to urban and city sprawl

7.       City Zoning

Mr. Johnson took some time explaining the highway system in Fort Worth and the importance of street size regulation.  Even the simplest expansion of a highway or street by a few inches can add up to cause a massive and unnecessary urban sprawl that could be easily controlled by mandating a more manageable highway width.  The TIF focuses on a great deal of issues such as:

• Attract investment
• Support tourism and convention business
• Create an environment to attract office, retail, and residential development
• Use the increment to fund public improvements
• Create measurable financial gains for local governments

            The various areas of Fort Worth that have benefited from the TIF are noted in the map below:

As the city of Fort Worth works towards a more sustainable future and revitalized face, they have implemented a plan called “PLAN 2023” which is a “reflect the community’s vision for a livable, healthy, economically vibrant and exciting downtown for the next 10 years”.  The Downtown Fort Worth Inc states, “the plan will build on downtown’s existing natural, cultural, social and physical assets.  It will provide a strong foundation for strategic actions that will shape downtown’s future development, enhance connections to surrounding neighborhoods and strengthen downtown’s role as the heart of the city”.  The company has implemented a timeline, which is as follows:

ESTIMATED TIMELINE:

Issue RFQ December 2011

Proposals Due January 2012

Consultant Selection February 2012

Planning Process March 2012-March 2013

Final Report Spring 2013

            As you can see, the Downtown Fort Worth, Inc is working hard in many various directions to not only revamp several dilapidated areas within the city, but keep a watchful eye on the sustainable efforts with each design and project. It’s great to see a city like Fort Worth implementing a green initiative in some of the most important areas within a heavily populated area such as DFW.  This effort shows how city governments and planners are beginning to embrace the green movement and rebuild our world in the most sustainable manner as possible.  Its efforts like this that will educate the public on sustainability and what efforts each of us can make to heal our earth.

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Jackson Murphy, President of Green Bean Analysis, LLC

            Secondly, before heading out to venture the lay of the land, we had one more guest speaker who was a wealth of knowledge with green building and sustainable investments and finance.  Mr. Jackson Murphy, who is the President of Green Bean Analysis, which provides services such as Financial Cost & Benefit Analysis, LEED AP Consulting, and Green Building Consulting.  He explained the aspects of investing in green with respect to environmental, social, and governmental.  He went on to discuss the aspects he concentrates on with building green, which includes site planning, indoor environmental quality, material use, energy use and conservation, waste management.  When considering those aspects of green building, a building can reduce each of those by varying percentages.  

         

            Mr. Murphy went on to explain the various types of sustainability building rating systems other than LEED.  While LEED may be the most recognized and often used, it’s often considered a crutch for many businesses that use LEED as a stopping point, often not allowing for further green efforts that can be done, just not observed or regulated by LEED.  Other sustainability rating systems include:

·               Energy Star

·               Green Globes

·               Green Roads

·               Breeam

·               NAHB – National Green Building Program

·               ASHRAE 189.1

·               Sustainable Sites

·               IGCC – International Green Construction Code

Mr. Murphy told us about the window replacement project at the Empire State Building in 2010.  They took over the 5^th floor of the building, and actually constructed each double pane window on the site, and then installed each one, one floor at a time, while the building continued business as normal.  He shared a wonderful arrangement of possibilities in green building and the efforts that are being made to become more sustainable in the built environment.  I thoroughly enjoyed his visit and learned a great deal from him.

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Bedford Public Library

            As we left the class, we ventured out into the world to scope out what local businesses were doing to support the green movement and become more sustainable.  We traveled over to Bedford to visit their new state of the art library and investigate what note-worthy efforts they were making to create a greener world.  As we arrived, I immediately noticed the gorgeous new building with a very modern look to the exterior.  Once we got inside, Maria Redburn, the Library Manager, met us in the lobby and began answering questions right away.  Before we even had a chance to begin the tour, you could tell the group was excited to see the facility and curious to know about several very obvious sustainable features.  Within the first few minutes, we all noticed the xerioscaping outside and the Solar Panel Meter Reading Console just inside the front door.  As the group settled down and everyone arrived, she began explaining the financial aspect of the project and how it all got started.  Being that the Bedford Public Library is a government agency, the financial regulations and intricacies are far more complicated than any private business.  In order to begin the project, the library began great efforts to raise funds and apply for grants to help fund the project.  In 2005, a tax rollback election closed the Bedford Public Library was closed; therefore, the effort to reopen a community library was indeed of great importance and a valiant community effort.  Per the Bedford Public Library Website:

“The Bedford Public Library Foundation seeks to promote a secure financial future by raising funds for an endowment.  Our goal is to enrich, not replace, traditional tax-based support for the library through gifts, grants and bequests from individuals and organizations to support library programs and projects not normally met by public funding.  The Foundation was formed to spearhead a Capital Campaign to ensure that the new Bedford Public Library will be able to meet the needs of the community.

Funds raised for the Capital Campaign will be used to enhance the following areas of the library:

• Art and Landscaping:  Enhance the new Library by updating and repairing the Globe, creating sculpture gardens and outdoor seating.
• Children’s Area:  Enhance the Children’s Area by raising funds for the Storytime Room, Discovery Room and Toddler Interactive Area.
• Furniture:  Assist with raising funds to purchase chairs, couches and tables to create a comfortable environment for leisure reading and studying.
• Technology:  Purchase 65 computers for the new library to be placed in the Computer, Job and Homework stations, Early Literacy stations and the Teen Center.”

After all the financial aspects were secured and the project was approved, they made the decision to purchase an existing building in 2007, an old Food Lion Grocery Store, and re-adapted it into the new library.  Once they determined that the foundation required for support the enormous book weight load, they moved forward with the grocery store.

Utilizing an existing building and re-purposing it, is indeed a sustainable feature in itself.  But to move beyond that effort, they began analyzing what green features they could include, what their budget would allow, and what would be the greatest return on investment with the quickest return possible.  After much research, they decided to apply their SICO Grant money to install a system of solar panels, which includes a power inverter.  On a total side note, it was a really exciting experience to get to see a power inverter and portions of a PV system in action.  It was also interesting to learn that the inverters that accompany a PV system, have to be replaced roughly every 10-15 years, and costs around $150,000 each.  With expenses like that, it’s important to keep that in mind when trying to calculate returns on investment as well as maintenance costs.  Mrs. Redburn explained that they were able to keep a good portion of the original building, which saved a great deal of construction cost, and they simply added a children’s storytime tower and a few other addition along the interior.  A few other sustainable elements include:

1.  A white reflective roof to cut down on solar absorption – Provided for by a Formula Grant

2. Energy efficiency light bulbs 

3. Geothermal Well Energy System 

4. Low E-glass – protecting the books from natural light penetrating the building 

5. Carpet Squares – made of 80% recycled materials

6. Low VOC Paint

7. Energy Efficient Insulation added to the envelope of the building

8. Strategically placed windows to minimize direct sunlight

Another interesting technological feature, is their AMH book conveyor belt, which is a automated book sorter that not only saves time in sorting the massive amount of books that are returned on a daily basis, but also saves the library a great deal of money by not having to depend on a staff position to sort that great load of books.  Each book is tagged with a tiny chip imbedded in the tag, and as the book passes by an electronic eye, it tells the belt which bin to deposit the book into.  

As you can see, the Bedford Public Library has been through many trials and tribulations throughout their existence, but they have made huge strides to overcome all of their bumps in the road.  And seeing that they had a unique opportunity to become more sustainable and become a showcase for libraries everywhere, they seized the moment and have now become a note worth facility.  I have to applaud them on their efforts and advise each of you to take a moment and visit their library to see all the wonderful sustainable efforts in action.

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Rahr and Son’s Brewery

Our day of madness ended with our class gathering at the Rahr and Son’s Brewery in Fort Worth.  Though it may seem strange to visit a brewery to examine their sustainability efforts, it simply demonstrates one fact, that it doesn’t matter where you go, what business you visit, or what they do there, almost every business these days has some sort of sustainability effort going on or in place.  With that in mind, I was surprised to find out what actions they were taking to be more sustainable.  Some they didn’t even realize were truly sustainable until after the fact.  

            One of the most considerate sustainable actions they brewery does is donating a ton of remaining wheat barley hops, grain left over from the brewing process each brewery day.  This ensures that no residual grain product goes to waste.  The re-purposed grain products are used as silage for cattle.  They claim that, “the next time you're driving down a Texas highway and you see a group of cows that really, truly seem to be smiling, feel free to smile and nod back at them because you know their secret.”  Which very well may be true, but with green efforts like that, anyone would be smiling.  They also donate their spent grain from a batch of “Ugly Pug” to the Artisan Baking Company where they turn it into loaves of Ugly Pug Jalapeño bread.

Other green aspects being utilized at the brewery include:

·         Use water to cool the beer wort within a closed system, which reduces the amount of water waste

·         Use local materials as much as possible

·         Use locally grown grain whenever possible

·         Re-adaptive a Coca Cola Warehouse in 1847

·         Bottle Recycle Program – Return 20 bottles and receive $5 in “Rahrbucks” to spend at the brewery

·         Bike and Walkable friendly – providing a large bike rack along the exterior of the building

·         Sell their beer only in Texas (Locally)

As you can see, whether you’re visiting a public library, or a local brewery, many companies from many walks of life are taking measures to become more sustainable.  While there may be a frequent list of common sustainable efforts, some changes can very much be tailored to a specific company or industry.  We can take note from those common lists, but it’s up to us to step out of the box and truly analyze what can be done, what changes can be made to become more sustainable, within any walks of life.  And the next time you’re out at a restaurant or in a store, or even on a tour, pay attention to what they’re doing to become more eco-friendly, and if you don’t notice sustainable signs right off the bat, just ask, most companies and businesses will be glad to share what they’re doing to be green!

References

Downtown Fort Worth Inc – History - http://dfwi.org/who-we-are/our-history

Downtown Fort Worth Inc – TIF - http://dfwi.org/what-we-do/tif-overview

Downtown Fort Worth Inc – Plan 2030 - http://dfwi.org/what-we-do/projects/plan-2023

Green Bean Analysis – About - http://www.greenbeananalysis.com/About.html

Green Bean Analysis – Services - http://www.greenbeananalysis.com/Services.html

CoStar - http://www.costar.com/

USA Today – Empire State Building Article - http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2010-07-12-empire-state-building-windows-green_N.htm

Bedford Public Library - http://www.bedfordlibrary.org/CapCamp/home.html

Bedford Public Library – Foundation - http://www.bedfordlibrary.org/CapCamp/campaign.html#found

Rahr and Son’s Brewery – Recycling - http://rahrbrewing.com/community/rahr-recycles.html

University of Missouri – Department of Animal Services - http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G2059

Ferrier Custom Homes in Sustainability with Both New and Old

Ferrier Builders / Custom Homes

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Ferrier Home – Lovell Avenue – Retro-fit Home

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Ferrier Builders is a local commercial and residential builder here in the DFW area.  They were established in 1984 but Don Ferrier, who came from a long line of general contractors/stonemasons, and construction specialists who originated from Scotland in 1881.  In 2004, Ferrier Builders established Ferrier Custom Homes.  As a part of that change, Ferrier Builders, “now specializes in Structural Insulated Panel construction and has deliberately woven energy efficiency and sustainability into the fabric of every project he partners in.”  As the generations shifted, Don Ferrier’s daughter, Heather, began working as part of the team at Ferrier Custom Homes.  Heather serves as the General Manager of Ferrier Builder utilizing a “passion for sustainable building practices and her natural administrative skills”.  She is best known for her project called “Heather’s Home” which is a retro-fit project of a quaint little home built in 1938.  

Heather’s Home began with a complete analysis of the area surrounding the home, a structural analysis and then onto an energy efficiency analysis as well.  Some of the main features they included in the home on Lovell Avenue, which is a 1686 sq ft home, includes spray foam insulation, mini slit heating and air units which have been installed into each room, 100% new plumbing, and reclaimed wood for their hardwood floors and new double paned gas windows throughout the home to help reduce the infiltration of outside air into the home.  Heather stated that while they did their best to salvage as much of the original house as possible, some instances required them to completely start fresh.  However, the materials that weren’t used were donated to Habitat for Humanity, for use on other projects.  A full list of sustainable features includes:

• Tankless Seisco water heater
• Icynene spray foam insulation in attic & wall cavities
• Replace 100% windows with Maritech triple Low-E coating, Energy Star windows
• Energy Star doors
• Energy Star appliances
• Restoring original hardwoods & door hardware
• Removing & reusing lumbers, siding, etc
• All low or no VOC content paints, stains & adhesives
• Open front porch back up to assist with ventilation & delay the use of AC
• Daikin mini split AC system downstairs; Mitsubishi unit & blowers for upstairs
• Programmable thermostats
• PEX plumbing
• Low flow showers, faucets & toilets
• Energy Star lighting
• Native landscaping
• Donating unused items to Habit to Humanity (doors, plumbing & electrical fixtures)

For more on the project, visit www.HeathersRemodel.com.

            Heather stated that the reconstruction cost was only raised by 10% to include sustainable features, which equated to roughly $12,000 of the $80,000 reconstruction costs.  And the majority of that cost went to the spray foam insulation which provided the largest amount of return of all the improvements made.  She explained that their electricity bill runs roughly $60 a month which is in tribute to the mini split AC systems, the foam insulation, and gas double paned windows which allows the interior circulation to remain inside and prevents any leaks from home itself. 

            This gorgeous little house has so much more character than most homes built within the last 20 years.  Though some may be concerned about the advanced age of the home, its energy efficiency is far more superior to most brand new homes.  Not to mention, after the construction phase was complete, the house was lead free, and brought up to current codes just as any new home construction today, at a far less cost than any new home of its size and sustainable advancements.  On an additional note, homes with these sustainable investments can not only earn a tax credit but can receive an average of 40% on their home owners insurance.  Therefore, new or old, sustainable advancements may be more costly to install and include into a construction project, but the returns on investments is far worth it and can save thousands, even hundreds of thousands down the road.

              Now on a more personal level, I'm simply in love with this home!  As all of my classmates know, I have a serious passion for re-adaptive architecture, and this project is the heart of that concept.  While the project may not be a "re-adaptive" project, its a retro-fit, utilizing the same purpose but with an extreme twist.  As we move towards a more sustainable world, its important to remember options like this.  Go beyond the home, the house itself, and all of the efforts that were put into rebuilding this home, and all of the sustainable features within it.  Sustainability isn't just about being green and sustaining the earth, it's about sustaining our world, every facet of it, the home, the neighborhood, the community and more.  This home is, at first glance, in an odd location for a project of its magnitude and purpose.  But after truly looking at the heart of the project, it's truly in the perfect location.  Just think of what it would be like to have projects like this springing up all over the metroplex, in lower income areas, in older neighborhoods, and areas that often forgotten.  Imagine what it would be like if new homeowners would be as brave as Heather, and take on a task such as this, and bring a new life and even a new hope to an otherwise dying neighborhood.  Bringing projects like this, to a neighborhood that is just that, a forgotten corner of the city, and showing that community that not only do we care, but that we are just every day people who not only care about the earth, but the community around us.  This house holds a special place in my heart, not only because of the amazing historic architecture, but the emotional and social effort that went into it.  And lastly, I have to applaud Heather and all of her family, for taking that step and becoming one of the pioneers of the green movement, in a whole new way!

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Ferrier Home – Bailey Street – New Built Home

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            Ferrier Builders / Customs Homes also specialize in new home construction.  Whether it’s new home construction or a retro-fit project, they constantly focus on sustainable design and ways to reduce environmental impact and energy consumption.  The De La Pena home is a 1,730 sq ft home built in 2010, just northwest of downtown Fort Worth.  This project various just a bit from the Lovell Avenue home, but the same sustainable elements were utilized throughout.  This project includes:

• Passive solar design
• Infill lot
• Designed home around existing trees
• Spray foam insulation in walls & roof
• Reflective TPO roof on house, galvalume metal roof on garage
• Low-E Hurd windows
• All low or no VOC paints, stains & adhesives
• On site recycling of construction debris (scrap lumber & sheetrock ground into landscaping mulch)
• Ductless Mitsubishi AC with mini-split LG wall units
• Programmable thermostats
• PEX plumbing
• Low flow toilets & shower heads
• ENERGY STAR appliances
• Tankless water heater
• Native landscaping
• Non-toxic pest control
• Detached garage

The distinct difference with this project vs. the Lovell Avenue home is the total cost of construction.  The retro-fit home cost far less than the new construction home.  While the costs of each sustainable feature is the same for both projects, the cost of purchasing the land and actual ground up construction costs is far more than the retro-fit project on Lovell Ave.  One wonderful feature this home has is the real time use meter.  This meter is able to tell the home owner how much electricity the home is using every minute of every day.  It’s also able to tell them how much electricity was used that day, that week, that month and even that year.  It also has the capability to tell them how much that electricity is costing them vs. how much the average electricity is costing in surrounding homes.  It’s a wonderful feature to help homeowners keep track of peak usage times and how they can cut down on their daily usage and become more efficient.  Another sustainable feature that is included is the thermal mass concrete floor that is layered from the ground up.  Their main living areas contain exposed concrete, which is clear and available for hardwood installation when needed.  The lack of carpet in the main living areas cuts down on the amount of PVC’s from the carpet being introduced into the air.  The living room also includes a direct vent fire place which stays self-contained and doesn’t pull air from neighboring rooms like conventional fireplaces; therefore, the amount of electricity used to heat or cool the home is far less than usual homes.

Whether the project is a newly built home or a retro-fit of an older existing home, it’s always possible to take that extra step and include sustainable elements to reduce the energy consumption and the environmental impact as well.  Both of these projects from Ferrier homes are great examples of what can be done to become more sustainable and live in a greener environment.

References

Ferrier Homes – History - http://www.ferriercustomhomes.com/about/history/

Ferrier Homes – Heather’s Home - http://www.ferriercustomhomes.com/services/remodeling/projects/HH2/statistics/

Heather’s Home - http://www.heathersremodel.com/Remodeling_Lovell/Welcome.html

Ferrier Homes – De La Pena Home - http://www.ferriercustomhomes.com/services/custom_homes/projects/Cowtown%20Contemporary/tour/

Ferrier Homes – De La Pena Home – Statistics - http://www.ferriercustomhomes.com/services/custom_homes/projects/Cowtown%20Contemporary/statistics/

Sustainability at the DFW International Airport

 

DFW International Airport

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Guest Speakers

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Jerry Burbridge, Department of Homeland Security

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Rusty Hodapp, P.E., CEM, LEED AP

VP and Sustainability Officer

Our visit of the DFW Airport began with a visit with Mr. Jerry Burbridge, who works for Homeland Security, who not only has a great deal of knowledge in architecture and real estate, but has a wealth of knowledge in engineering, accounting, finance, building systems, materials data, and most of all, sustainability.  He explained how a building should be looked at from many angles, and not only should the construction of a building be kept in mind as it is developed from the ground up, but its entire life cycle should be considered as well, including the deconstruction of that structure 20 or 40 years in the future.  He referred to this concept as life cycle costing, which means keeping all systems in mind when developing a new structure.  This concept was compared to a simple grain of dirt.  He discussed how each piece of dirt has 6 sides, a top, bottom, and 4 sides, similar to a structure of a house.  Mr. Burbridge explained the analysis of that piece of dirt or “structure” from the foundation, to the walls, to the roof.  Once you have the basics of the structure considered, then move on to the main systems which should be focused on when designing a sustainable building.  Those systems include the HVAC systems, the lighting and the windows.  However, one major component that is often forgotten is the materials that are not only used in the structure of the building, but the interior design and even the furniture used within that building as well.  He spoke of the MSDS sheets, which are Material Safety Data Sheets, which keeps track of all the toxins in each of the materials used in the construction of a building, and using that data to eliminate materials that will contribute to a more “toxic” environment thus creating what is often called a “sick environment”. That "sick environment" has been analyzed for some time, and has often been a hot topic among many companies.  Studies have found that the buildings built with low VOC paints, low toxin materials, natural lighting, and even a natural ventilation system, all provide for a "happier" environment.  And within that "happier" environment, they found that the employees would care more about their job, put more effort into their work, call in sick less, and get along better with their fellow coworkers.  Therefore, it's easy to say that yes it's important to pay attention to the MSDS, but when you get down to the heart of it, those simple sheets containing a simple analysis can very well make or break a company over a period of time.  For that fact alone, architects, builders and everyone involved in a construction project should keep in mind, am I building a "sick environment".

Mr. Burbridge also discussed the USGBC’s LEED categories and the changes that are now being implemented within that program.  In the beginning of the USGBC LEED certification program, once a building was granted a particular level, they were able to earn that certification for the remainder of that building’s life, however, now they require that LEED certified building to maintain their sustainable efforts to continue to possess that specific certification.  He went on to explain the categories of LEED and how each pertained to a structure.

LEED Categories 

                                             1.       Sustainable Site

                                             2.       Water Efficiency
                                             3.       Energy and Atmosphere
                                             4.       Materials and Resources
                                             5.       Indoor Environmental Quality
                                             6.       Innovation and Design
                                             7.       Regional Priorities

He closed with an encouraging, but cautious stance.  As we move forward to a sustainable world, and sustainable buildings within that world, we should keep in mind the efforts to maintain the sustainability of that structure.  That we need to be careful how ‘out front’ we get with our sustainable features and take into account what is required to keep that system running and how much it costs to maintain it.  Expensive measures to become sustainable may not be economically feasible down the road, with the economic return not in a good balance with the initial cost and the cost of maintenance. Unfortunately, the cost of sustainable products and design is at the top of the list of most decisions as to whether or not one should make that effort to build a more sustainable building.  To break further into the layers of sustainable development, cost is always going to be a battle.  Most people's argument against embracing sustainable design is the expense.  Now, what we have to take into account is the maintenance of that green element going to cost even more down the road, which in turn, unfortunately, will turn more people off and add one more thing to the con list of sustainable design elements.  And while Mr. Burbridge brings up a good point, I think it's just the surface of many layers to the debate on whether or not to include green products in not only new projects but existing ones as well.  I think as time goes by, and green products become cheaper to make and sustainability becomes more mainstream, the cost will go down and become more affordable to the general public.  With all hope, the cost of maintaining those green elements will lower as well, unfortunately, it may take years and even decades to see how that will play out.  However, we can't let that stop us from proceeding on this green highway that we are on.  The only way the product and maintenance cost will go down, is to continue educate people on sustainability and to make sustainability as mainstream as possible.  I hate to use the word tend with sustainability, being that "trend" by definition is one that is only temporary, but the more we get involved and utilize green elements, the more the sustainability trend will become the every day norm. 

DFW International Airport is one of the largest airports in the nation.  While airports all over the country are making efforts to become more sustainable, DFW has a few key points that help them stand out above the rest.  The airport began making sustainable efforts in the last 1990’s, however, it wasn’t until 2007 that their green efforts kicked into high gear.  Rusty Hodapp, the VP and Sustainability Officer for DFW International Airport, wrote the DFW’s first Sustainability corporate policy in 2007.  Once he received his LEED AP, he began analyzing the airports sustainable efforts and realized there was much that could be done.  Then began DFW’s sustainable marketing plan: “Trusted with tomorrow”.  He based the policy on six main principals.

DFW’s Principals of Sustainability

                 
                                              1.       Systems thinking 
                                              2.       Top to Bottom Analysis

                                              3.       Integrated Management
                                              4.       Continuous Improvement
                                              5.       Life-Cycle Analysis
                                              6.       Community Partnerships

            DFW takes a collaborative approach to ensuring all aspects of sustainability are achieved within the airport itself.  There are 3 Sustainability “sub-teams” which consist of employees from various departments, coming together to do a secondary job serving on one of the three green teams at DFW.  It was this point of the "secondary teams" that really sparked my interest out of the whole lecture.  Being that I have a BS in Architecture, and hope to move into Urban and City Planning, this point and the idea of airports being their own "small city" truly peaked my curiosity.  What if DFW moved from those secondary teams, and developed primary teams.  Teams of each of the groups listed below, and made sustainability their main focus.  While I understand that DFW International Airport is a non-profit business, they still run that company as a for-profit business.  That being said, what if a small fee was added somewhere, for each passenger flying out of DFW which contributed to those primary teams.  What if the money saved from all the sustainable efforts, went towards those primary sustainability teams.  Though I'm sure the existing teams do a wonderful job, and at the present, may not make financial sense to develop a full time sustainability position, the end result may provide a larger savings in the long run should an employee's primary focus be on saving energy and thus saving money for the airport.  Secondly, why not apply that sustainable efforts being implemented in larger metro areas and apply those ideas to the "small city" mentality.  Analyzing traffic and transportation throughout the airport itself, both interior and exterior.  I know that the DART project is a big focus right now, and while that is a great project and a fabulous step in the right direction, one has to ask themselves, can more be done?  What about a higher density development?  What about a focus on sustainable building elements such as energy efficient windows, doors, perhaps they have already implemented those aspect to the best of their allowable degree.  In all honesty, I think I walked away with more questions than answers, however, it's a great place to start, and is well worth the further investigation.  I might even be as so bold to say, this has sparked a new interest for me and might even have a new career focus.  It's a way to implement my love of architecture and sustainability, coupled with my interest of city planning.  One never knows...

DFW’s Green Teams

1.       1. Green Purchasing Team – in charge of purchasing environmentally friendly products and even     ensuring that their 3^rd party distributors are as eco-friendly as possible.

2.       2. Green Building Team – in charge of standards followed within the building / remodeling of the airports newly updated terminals, as well as the materials used within those spaces.

3.       3. Green ITS Team – in charge of reducing energy consumption throughout the airport, as well as reducing the electronic waste that is created within the airport and its departments.

Stages of Sustainability

DFW Main Public Relations Sustainability Points

1.       Energy Efficiency Program – continuously commissioning alternative energy to power the airport

2.       Thermal Energy Storage

3.       Solar PV Array – atop one of the airport buildings

4.       LEED Designed Fire Station

5.       Water Conservation – Water Sense

6.       Water Reuse Program – Purple Pipeline system, Direct Reclamation

7.       Clean Fuel Fleet – CNG Fleet vehicles using natural gas as alternative fuels

8.       TRIP – Terminal Renewal  Improvement Program

The Future in Sustainability at DFW

                                 1.       External Sustainability Report
                                 2.       Higher Level Sustainability Matrix
                                 3.       Integrated Sustainability communication strategies
                                 4.       Sustainability with the DFW Workshops
                                 5.       Sustainability partnerships with key business partner and 
                                       stakeholders

          Mr. Burbridge and Mr. Hodapp both provided a wonderfully detailed explanation as to how sustainability is being achieved on a large scale.  Demonstrating how DFW international airport functions as a small city, playing particular attention to all aspects of sustainability.  I have to say, I was rather impressed with all the green efforts being made at DFW, and have gained a new respect and understanding of what efforts can be made to become more sustainable on every level.  I would like to thank our Professor, Mr. Brant Mullen for providing this occasion and allowing us to see our dreams of sustainability in action.  We are truly in a unique position and greatly appreciate this opportunity.

References

DFW International Airport - TRIP - http://www.dfwairport.com/redefine/construction/index.php

DFW International Airport - http://www.dfwairport.com/

DFW International Airport – Sustainability - http://www.dfwairport.com/sustainability/P1_008769.php

Jerry Burbridge, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection Department

Rusty Hodapp, P.E., CEM, LEED AP, VP and Sustainability Officer, DFW International Airport