Site Visit - Trinity River Audobon

Site: Trinity River Audobon
http://trinityriver.audubon.org/green-building

Building Features

• LEED Gold Building
• Permeable Paving and Stormwater Control
• Drought-resistant landscaping
• Rainwater Harvesting
• Living Roof with native Texas species
• Water Use reduction
• High-Efficiency HVAC and Electrical
• Slanted windows for glare reduction
• Building Materials sourced from within 200 mile radius
• Solar panels to power exterior lights

The Trinity River Audobon was constructed to LEED Gold Standards in 2008 with help from the City of Dallas. According to our tour guide, the approximate cost was $14.7 million. The design of the building was the most impressive element in my opinion, as it was modeled after a variety of natural shapes and colors. The building blends with natural surroundings because of it's shape, color and prominent natural roof that can be seen from the exterior. The area surrounding the building was a significant departure from the urban jungle of Dallas with natural features like native trees, grasses, and ponds. While on the property, there were several birds and other small mammals located within close proximity of the building. Amazingly, the site of the facility was a former Brownfield site that was restored. The Brownfield site was a landfill covering 120 acres of illegally dumped trash. When considering the history of the land, the beauty of the building and of the surrounding environment was particularly impressive.

As fantastic as the land and building were, I couldn't help that someone could bring more attention and more use to the facility. During the tour, I made a note that said simply 'beautiful facility - needs more use!!' to remind myself that this was an important point to discuss in this post. As we were touring on a relatively slow Saturday, it felt as if this building had suffered the fate of other expensive and impressive efficient buildings. The building showcased letters from politicians and articles discussing it's completion and congratulating the City of Dallas for their efforts. However after much fanfare at the opening, it seemed that the attention died down and the building will need to work to maintain it's prominence. As much effort and expense that went into the original construction of the building, it's important that the building is utilized and that people are aware of it.

BEFORE CLEANUP

AFTER CLEANUP



Overall, the building and reclaimed land were very impressive. I particularly appreciated the natural elements incorporated into the design of the building. I hope that the staff at the facility can continue to find creative ways to bring people out to the facility. With as much public money that was spent on the facility, it's important that the facility is utilized to it's highest potential for educational and recreational activities.