The document summarizes a presentation about renovating a 1920s warehouse building in Houston, Texas to create the COH Permitting and Green Resource Center. The renovation utilized the existing structure to reduce costs, incorporated numerous sustainable design features like a vegetated roof and solar panels, and achieved LEED Gold certification while meeting a 10-year return on investment for all green technologies. The presentation will discuss strategies used, what succeeded, and lessons learned from the first year of operations.

1. “Studio Red Architects ” is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing
Education Systems (AIA/CES). Credit(s) earned on completion of this program will be reported to AIA/CES for
AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon
request.
This program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include
content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of
construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.
Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this
presentation.

2. COH Permitting and Green Resource Center
The Return on Investment strategy utilized to renovate and reposition this five
story 1920’s flat slab masonry warehouse as the COH Permitting and Green
Resource Center will be presented by Bill Neuhaus, Principal in Charge and
Mindy Wilkinson Mechlem, Project Architect & LEED coordinator.
The program called for the creation of a LEED Certified user friendly retail experience for those
seeking permits from 30 different departments. The building utilizes raised floor air conditioning,
uninsulated triple wythe masonry walls, thermally broken windows, energy efficient HVAC, and a
vegetated roof. The heavily insulated roof is covered by three different types of solar panel and host
four wind turbines.
What worked and what didn’t will be discussed. Topics include
– “Design is not enough”,
– “It takes commitment of all”,
– “Don’t be afraid to try the unexpected”.
– The presenters will grade the results and present findings from a year’s operation of the
building.
couqse descqiption

3. pqoject
infoqmation/descqiptiv
e data
The City determined the building
which housed the majority of
Building Code Enforcement activities
was too small, not energy efficient,
with minimal amenities for
customers and employees. Other
permitting activities were housed in
multiple locations. Customers
seeking permits often were required
to drive from location to location.
The City wanted to solve these
functional issues and demonstrate
its commitment to sustainable
development.
• A 5 story 1920’s warehouse close to
the CBD, the Amtrak Station (home
for future heavy rail), and the
Buffalo Bayou bike trails was
identified. The Design team’s
Analysis showed the 180,000 sf
building could house most
permitting activities, and that its
adaptive reuse would anchor the
East end of the redeveloping
Washington Corridor.
View from Amtrak

4. site
Existing Building 5 Story Structure – 4 Levels + Basement 186,000 SF
The project is located in a Sustainable site within ¼ mile of 5 bus lines ,with in ½ of 10
community services and an existing residential district
25 preferred parking spaces are provided for low emitting and fuel efficient vehicles
North Canopy

5. Attendees will be exposed
to unique strategies for
sustainable renovations,
“Read the bones”.
At the end of this program, participants will be able to:
Attendees will learn to
look beyond the “Norm”
exploring alternative
solutions to everyday
issues.
• Attendees will understand
why the Return on
Investment Strategy is
valuable when presenting
to client groups.
leaqning objective

6. the gqeen bones
•GOAL – to reduce project scope by 80% of NEW CONSTRUCTION
•Cost of renovation - 67% of NEW CONSTRUCTION
$36,043,483.00
NEW CONSTRUCTION
$24,211,181.00
USE OF EXISTING
STRUCTURE
Using the bones to innovate

7. existing
Existing Building 5 Story Structure – 4 Levels + Basement 186,000 SF`
Main Façade – Existing Loading Docks
Lobby Level
North Canopy

8. the bones
• The old loading docks provided portals
between the clip on lobby and the
racetrack, a thirty station desk facilitating
transactions
The exterior elevator tower was
rebuilt and clad in stainless steel and
became the palate for Dick Wray’s iconic
representation of his Houston
Internal stairs not meeting code were
eliminated in favor of external stairs that
provided an identifiable image from the
adjacent freeway
Re-use of the EXISTING STRUCTURE

9. the bones
North Canopy
The design team reused as much of the existing building as possible

10. the bones and the
qeuse
• One favorable factor for the reuse project
was the ability to use existing shaded
parking lot under the HOV lane one block
from the site ,This lot provided sufficient
parking for employees freeing on site
parking for patrons eliminating the need to
construct another parking garage in
Houston.
An interior freight elevator was removed
providing a light shaft and communicating
stair to connect the previously departments
At the basement level monitors serve
as inverse skylights

11. design
The space plan created for the building consolidates 30 different city functions with 800
employees, 95% of City permitting functions and the Green Building Resource Center (GBRC), into
one location making it among the most integrated urban permitting operations in the country.
All floors have an open space plan which along with the 37,000 square feet of raised flooring
system installed allows for full flexibility for the client to adjust and change the space according
to their changing needs. The open plan also allows for daylight access as well as views to the
exterior for all employees working at the building.
It takes commitment of all

12. design
Design as a whole allows the Architecture to Celebrate the Industrial Character of 1002 Washington
while creating an innovative solution to bring the architecture to the 21st century
It takes commitment of all

13. design
Design is not enough ,design must be pragmatic and unafraid of exploring the possibilities of a
building . There are a number of sustainable features incorporated into the building, with a clear
design intent to work as a whole rather than a “feature”, consequently creating a living ecosystem.
is not enough

14. the aqt bones
Using the bones to inspire
Utilizing the current architectural features can reveal a new
purpose and function to the building ,while identifying
opportunities for permanent or future installations.

15. the gqeen bones
Using the bones to innovate
A simple design solution can have an overall change in the mood of the architecture , solar
tubes where embedded in the perforations created by the “old” exhaust fans that where no
longer needed ,bringing new light to needed areas without resorting to artificial lights.

16. design
Re inventing the “waiting line” .
The lobby serves as the reception area with the permit counter overlooking the lobby. While
waiting to see a permit specialist, customers have a variety of architectural and civic art elements to
interact with.
It takes commitment of all

17. gqeen design
Materials
Low-emitting materials like wood ,sealant, adhesives and agrifiber products were installed to meet
the current green standard
Indoor pollutant source control include MERV 14 air filters and low emitting carpets.
The commitment to keep the spiritual aspect of the industrial character is seen by the material
choices that were not only green, but approved by the whole team and community.

18. gqeen design
95% of existing building structure has been reused
21.44% of the total building material content has been manufactured using recycled and green
materials
18.72% of the total building material has been extracted within in 500 miles of the site
82.56% of the total wood-based material has been harvested from FSC certified forest
Materials
The ceiling
above the permit counter
is covered with barcodes
made of reclaimed wood
timbers, lighting fixtures,
and raw
steel. Each barcode could
be scanned and read as
different words related to
the permitting process
such as
sign and seal

19. gqeen design
Another design component is the raised floor system that allows for under floor air distribution.
Hvac
Individual controls allow the cubicle worker to adjust the temperature based on their personal
comfort level, saving energy in the process.

20. gqeen design
Landscape and irrigation systems are design to reduced municipal water consumption by 50%
Base line annual water usage was reduced by 30 %
Rain water and condensate from the air handling units are collected at the downspouts, flow down
to rain harvesting troughs, and is then released when needed from an irrigation pipe so that the
water flows under the vegetated trays allowing the plants to soak it up from below.
Water Efficiency

21. Retuqn on Investment
Not for LEED points but for investment.
LEED points were the by product not the goal. Strictly following this principal the building
achieved LEED GOLD rating while City ordnance only requires Certified. This policy has
provided the city and the team a whole new way to talk about the efficacy of
sustainability.
Office fixtures use a step ballast which allows them to operate at 100% or 50%, allowing
sections to operate at half the energy usage as desired (time of day, department preference
based on tasks being performed, section of office not being occupied regularly, etc.).
Two heat recovery units utilize the exhaust air to pre-cool or pre-heat the outside air this
reduces the energy required to satisfy the floor air handling units, thereby saving energy.
Daylight harvesting sensors were used in the 2nd floor of the GBRC and the glass “clip on” in
the main waiting area, allowing the lights to dim or turn off when there is enough daylight
present to light the space
Buildings design was, governed by a strict guiding principal: any “green” technology or
materials used, that exceeded the norm, were required to have an estimated return on
investment of less than ten years based on 3 major areas :

22. Retuqn on Investment
Thermally broken windows
Energy modeling of the exterior masonry triple wythe walls
defied logic illustrating new thermally broken windows were
more beneficial than wall insulation
“Model does not reflect human comfort”
To the delight design team this allowed the exterior walls to
be exposed and breathe as originally designed
Any new bricks or pavers used on the project (at entry areas
and on clip on/ vegetated roof) were reused from existing
client projects.

23. Retuqn on Investment
The chiller is a “frictionless chiller” providing outstanding
performance and energy savings.
Condensate from the pretreat units is piped to supplement the
make-up water for the cooling tower and provides water for the
plants on the green roof.
Magnetic Bearing chiller

24. Retuqn on Investment
Raised Floor System
This allowed the team to locate all major wiring and cabling under
the floor, drilling down to install lights, tailored to daylighting
conditions, as well as cameras and fire detection equipment
eliminating the clutter of exposed conduit and maintaining future
flexibility

25. Result of sticking to
ROI is LEED GOLD
LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION
28% Energy Use Reduction
30% Water Use Reduction
75% Construction Waste Diverted
95% Building Reuse

26. COH Peqmitting and Gqeen
Resouqce Centeq
This entirely collaborative process has been a major factor in the overwhelming success of the project.
The building met and exceeded all expectations. Permitting functions for different departments are now
co-located allowing for shared common functions such as cashiering, printing, reception, customer service
representatives, etc. It is a truly civic building filled with largely local art of all types from Dick Wray’s
iconic metal wrap on an exterior elevator tower to murals, recycled metal assemblage, etched
photographs, and more. More importantly, though, it is an efficiently designed workspace and a
comfortable facility for the customers. The building exposes its bones to the delight of contractors and
children.