2025 Texas & Southeast Best Projects
Award of Merit, Sustainability: University of Houston RAD
University of Houston Rad
Houston
Award of Merit
Submitted by Turner Construction Co.
Owner University of Houston
Lead Design Firm Perkins&Will
General Contractor Turner Construction Co.
Structural/Civil Engineer Walter P Moore
MEP Engineer Henderson Engineers
The University of Houston Retail, Auxiliary and Dining (RAD) Center project replaces an existing university building with a next-generation student center and dining facility.
Situated in the center of campus, the project involved the complete demolition of a below-grade student center and food services structure to make way for a modern, two-story, 41,000-sq-ft facility designed to function as a social, culinary and academic hub.
The RAD showcases a comprehensive sustainability strategy that goes beyond standard requirements.
Certified LEED Silver under the LEED BD+C: New Construction rating system, a key element of the project’s sustainable approach is its use of mass timber—a first on the UH campus—which not only provides aesthetic and structural benefits but also allowed for the reuse of 45% of the previous building’s foundation, columns and beams.
The RAD was also designed in alignment with the AIA 2030 Commitment, achieving an 84% reduction in predicted energy use intensity compared to baseline. This reuse significantly reduced the project’s embodied carbon footprint by 39.2% compared with industry benchmarks.
