Photo courtesy of Corgan Associates

The LEED-Platinum Botanical Research Institute of Texas is a 70,000-sq-ft, two-story building delivered by The Beck Group, Dallas, in May 2011 without lost-time accidents.

The LEED-Platinum Botanical Research Institute of Texas is a 70,000-sq-ft, two-story building delivered by The Beck Group, Dallas, in May 2011 without lost-time accidents.

The design team was H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture LLC, New York, and Corgan Associates Architects, Dallas.

The $22-million facility comprises two connected but unique structures. The Archive Block contains a herbarium and a library. The Think Block contains public, exhibition, educational, research and administrative space. Atop is a living roof with native plants and soils.

The facility includes rooftop photovoltaic panels, energy-recovery ventilators, a geothermal well system, significant daylighting and full-cut-off LED light fixtures.

Interiors include rapidly renewable bamboo panels and sinker cypress wood panels harvested from the Mississippi River bottom, where they had sunk more than a century ago while being transported.

Approximately 91% of the stormwater runoff from the average annual rainfall is captured and treated in a stormwater retention pond.

The pond receives water from the parking lot via adjacent bioswales; from the roof; and from the substantial underground water resources on site.

Key Players

Owner: Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth

General Contractor: The Beck Group, Dallas

Owner's Representative: The Projects Group, Dallas

Lead Design: H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, New York

Associate Architect: Corgan Associates, Dallas

Civil: Hart Gaugler & Associates,Dallas

Structural: LA Fuess Partners, Dallas

MEP: Summit Consultants, Fort Worth, Texas

Landscape Design: Balmori Associates,New York

Irrigation Consultant: InCon-trol Water Systems,McKinney, Texas

Submitted by: Corgan Associates