Austin Resource Center for the Homeless – City of Austin

The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless was the first building in Austin to register for LEED® Certification from the United States Green Building Council. The facility achieved LEED® Silver Certification and a Five-Star Rating from the Austin Energy Green Building Program.

Encotech Engineering provided HVAC, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design for the three-story, 26,820 s.f. facility located in downtown Austin. The shelter features a medical clinic, art room, shower facility, offices for over a dozen different agencies, and an overnight facility.

Sustainable systems designed for the building include a 13,000 gallon rain water collection system involving a manifold tank system which supplements the non-potable water supply for the building. Encotech also designed a passive solar hot water system which pre-heats water for the showers, a filtration and distribution system, a ventilation air energy recovery system, and a solar photovoltaic electrical collection system. Encotech coordinated extensively with Austin Energy to include a transformer vault as an integral part of this building.
All HVAC systems were the latest in high-efficiency design, using chlorine-free R-410a refrigerant. Complex electronic monitoring throughout the building allowed the system to be tuned for environmental comfort and ensured minimal usage of electrical energy.

Project Challenges

• Designed to LEED® Silver Certification standards
• Designed for wide variation of building uses, including medical, residential, and educational
• Designed to support over a dozen different agencies that inhabit the building