Lady Bird Johnson Middle School is the first net-zero public school in Texas. Balfour Beatty Construction completed the $29.9-million project in March 2012.

Photo courtesy of Charles Davis Smith Photography
Lady Bird Johnson Middle School.
Photo courtesy of Charles Davis Smith Photography
Lady Bird Johnson Middle School.

The LEED-Gold school included high-efficiency insulation and glazing, rainwater harvesting, solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal walls among its sustainability features.

Approximately 2,988 solar panels cover nearly 66,000 sq ft of the roof, providing 99% of the energy used in the building. A high-efficiency geothermal heating and air-conditioning system also reduces energy use by 30%.

The 150,000-sq-ft, two-story building was constructed of structural steel, with a masonry and glass facade.

Key Players

Owner: Irving Independent School District, Irving, Texas

General Contractor: Balfour Beatty Construction, Dallas

Lead Design: Corgan Associates, Dallas

Civil: Glenn Engineering, Irving, Texas

Structural: L.A. Feuss Partners Inc., Dallas

MEP: Image Engineering Group Ltd., Grapevine, Texas

Submitted by Balfour Beatty Construction