The design for LPA’s San Antonio studio last week was named the recipient of the City of San Antonio’s 2019 SA Tomorrow Sustainability Award in the Retrofit Commercial Office category.
The studio transformed a vacant retail space into an energy-efficient, one-story, 10,300-square-foot creative work environment, including indoor and outdoor spaces. The studio was named Green Project of the Year by the San Antonio Business Journal last year, as part of the annual Building San Antonio Awards.
The SA Tomorrow Sustainability Awards are organized by the City of San Antonio’s Office of Sustainability and recognize projects that promote sustainability and engagement with San Antonio residents.
“The San Antonio studio reflects our commitment to designing for change,” said Mickey Conrad, Principal at LPA. “LPA’s integrated and research-based design process helped form this project into a model of sustainable design.”
The project achieved a LEED CI v4 Platinum certification and includes a 43 kw photovoltaic system, natural lighting, 100 percent LED lighting fixtures with controls, energy monitoring and innovative air quality and water strategies. The studio’s PV system, which includes a solar canopy over parking stalls, offsets more than 50 percent of the total energy use.
As a pilot project for the San Antonio River Authority’s Low Impact Development (LID) initiative, the studio’s design serves as an example for adaptive re-use. A large percentage of the existing walls, flooring and ceiling were reused; the studio achieved LEED Interiors Life-Cycle Impact Reduction standards.
The studio’s design is a model for the city’s sustainable initiatives, utilizing low impact design to provide a working environment that meets the somatic wellness of employees while conserving and producing energy.
The SA Tomorrow awards ceremony will be held on Earth Day 2020 at the City Council Chambers in San Antonio. LPA co-submitted for this award with the San Antonio River Authority.
