For more info, contact:

Claire Bloxom, 214-329-9191
claire@coopersmithagency.com

THE NEW RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF AUSTIN  AWARDED LEED-PLATINUM CERTIFICATION
The first LEED-Platinum building in Austin and the first green Ronald McDonald House in the world

AUSTIN, Texas, May 27, 2008 – The new Ronald McDonald House of Austin and Central Texas, which is the first “green” Ronald McDonald House in the world, has achieved another milestone – it has received LEED-platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  It is the first building in the city of Austin and the third building in the state of Texas to be built to LEED-Platinum standards, which is the highest level of sustainable building in the United States. The 28,500-square-foot Ronald McDonald House, which opened in December 2007, provides nurturing programs and a supportive home-like environment where families stay together while their children receive treatment in Austin-area medical centers.

TBG, Texas’ largest landscape architecture and planning firm, provided sustainable design, site planning and landscape architectural services for the four-story facility, all in a style that promotes sustainability, creates a soothing and welcoming atmosphere, and provides comfort to families.  

Built on a brownfield site adjacent to another TBG project - the new $200 million Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas - the House has 30 guest rooms, multi-use common areas and administrative offices. Also included in the design are various passive and active spaces such as butterfly and rooftop gardens, a children’s playground and a picnic area, which allow for reflection, relaxation and distraction for House patients. TBG’s design also incorporated three Hydrotech green roof systems, all of which contain native, drought-tolerant plant species that reflect the natural setting of the Texas Hill Country.  These green roofs combine with the use of high albedo concrete to reduce heat island effect throughout the site.

The House also has a 10.8 kilowatt (kW) solar array on the rooftop, which was donated and funded by Green Mountain Energy Company and Austin Energy. Consisting of 54 photovoltaic solar panels and covering nearly 950 square feet of roof space, the array will power at least half of the rooms in the House with solar energy. It will also minimize emission of harmful greenhouse gases, offsetting more than 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) annually, which removes the CO₂ equivalent of driving more than 33,000 miles. This integrated solar array makes it the first solar-powered Ronald McDonald House in the world.

"We are proud to be the first Ronald McDonald House in the United States to incorporate photovoltaic solar panels into our design and to set the standard for innovative ways to incorporate cleaner, renewable technologies," said Kent Burress, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House of Austin and Central Texas. "The solar panels are an integral architectural feature of this new state-of-the-art Ronald McDonald House, making not only a strong visual statement but also bearing evidence to this House's commitment to sustainable design and protection of our environment."

Still further, the project’s exemplary execution creates a unique opportunity to educate industry professionals, patients and their families about the details of the site’s sustainable design while reinforcing the significance and encouraging the use of green building practices. A comprehensive user-education program will help House guests appreciate and make the best use of their new green home and site. In addition, there is an educational kiosk within the House that explains how the solar array works and how it contributes to the building's energy efficiency. 

In addition to TBG as the site planner and landscape architect, other project team members include The Beck Group as the general contractor and Eckols & Associates as the architect. Other sustainable principles and design elements qualified the House for LEED-platinum certification, including: 

About TBG

As Texas’ largest landscape architecture and planning firm, TBG designs mixed-use and residential communities, corporate campuses, civic buildings, hotels, resorts, healthcare and educational facilities, city parks and historic sites. With 29 LEED Accredited Professionals on staff, TBG works to incorporate sustainable design principles into each project.  Established in 1987, TBG is now staffed by more than 130 professionals in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.  For more information, please visit www.tbg-inc.com.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas

Since 1985, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas (RMHC-ACT) has provided services to thousands of families whose children are seeking treatment at Austin-area hospitals. RMHC-ACT serves the 46 counties surrounding the city of Austin and Central Texas. As part of the worldwide Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), RMHC-ACT is committed to helping families of critically ill or injured children, giving them a place to rest, eat and share experiences with families of other children in similar situations. Other services provided by RMHC-ACT include administering grant money provided by RMHC Global to local organizations sharing a similar focus on children's issues, supporting an annual scholarship program and providing burial assistance and grief counseling to families who have experienced the loss of a child. For more information or to donate to the capital campaign, please visit www.rmhc-austin.org.

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