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2020 Texan by Nature 20 Texas Monthly Feature

Original article published on November 19, 2020 in Texas Monthly
Click here to read the original article.

2020. It really is its own sentence. In 2020, we’ve become more aware of and grateful for nature’s role in our mental and physical health. In 2020, conservation science has moved forward. Nature cleans our air and water, provides food, offers cost effective solutions, powers our activities, and serves as a recreational outlet. Now, more than ever, conservation is critical, and Texas is poised to lead the world in conservation innovation.

With 168 million acres of land paired with leadership in multiple sectors, Texas is fortunate to have industry leaders who see the value in partnering with conservation initiatives and developing innovative, sustainable methods and processes within their business. Texan by Nature (TxN), a conservation nonprofit founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, is dedicated to uniting conservation and business leaders in these efforts. In a time of uncertainty, we’re excited to celebrate something that is certain – the incredible work industry leaders are doing in conservation.

While no industry or business is perfect, there are leaders producing real results. The Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) showcases innovation, commitment, and best practices in conservation from 12 industries. Independent research aggregated public data yielding an initial list of 2,000+ companies. A 17-point scoring matrix evaluated criteria such as use of green energy, spend on conservation, and operational innovation. A cross industry selection committee ranked 60 finalists to determine the final honorees.

This year, The TxN 20 is brought to you in partnership with Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC). After the selection committee finalized the 2020 honorees, MPC stepped forward to help TxN realize the vision of broadly sharing the best practices and innovation demonstrated by the TxN 20.

MPC’s support of the TxN 20 was a natural fit, aligning with the company’s commitment to taking actions that create shared value: empowering people to achieve more, contributing to progress in its communities, and conserving resources in its operations. With $18.7 million in community investment, 55,000 volunteer hours, 39,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfills, and hundreds of millions of gallons in freshwater saved in 2019, MPC stands out as a conservation steward not only for Texas, but for the world.

The 2020 TxN 20 highlights similar industry leaders representing large companies and small across sectors as diverse as the Lone Star state itself. All of them believe our long-term prosperity and health is dependent upon the conservation of our natural resources, and that private industry has an opportunity to demonstrate a new, collaborative model of conservation for the world.

HOW WE LIVE

ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN, & DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION & MANUFACTURING, ENERGY, AND TECHNOLOGY

In Texas, we have the opportunity to live well thanks to four industries providing jobs and impacting our homes, workplaces, work product, roadways, and connection to one another. The Architecture, Design & Development, Construction & Manufacturing, Energy, and Technology industries play a major role in living well. The infrastructure, tools, and products these industries provide come together to power not only Texas, but the world. This is exemplified by Texas’ number one position in energy production, #2 position in technology jobs, unique architecture offerings, and rapidly growing population. As populations in the Lone Star State continue to grow, innovative principles and technologies will help meet our state’s infrastructure, living, and working needs while ensuring community health, economic prosperity, and conservation of natural resources.

American Campus Communities 

American Campus Communities (ACC), is the nation’s largest developer, owner, and manager of high-quality student housing communities, having served 200,000+ Texas college students. In every design, ACC prioritizes sustainability and believes focusing on materials and specifications improves student health and reduces operational costs, such as $4.25M saved with lighting updates.

CEMEX

CEMEX, is one of the largest global building materials companies in the world, providing products and services in 50+ countries. Their leadership goes beyond building materials with an operational focus on sustainability. For every acre of land under operations, CEMEX has 20.8 acres of land in conservation at its El Carmen Nature Reserve.

Cirrus Logic

Cirrus Logic is an American fabless semiconductor supplier that specializes in low-power, mixed-signal integrated circuits. They showcase a commitment to environmental responsibility through programs such as employee transportation solutions that reduce carbon emissions and volunteerism that keeps local green spaces clean.

Dell Technologies

Dell is one of the largest technology companies in the world, with 165,000+ team members across 180 countries serving 16M people. Dell makes an impact through collaborative partnerships that help reduce e-waste, encourage recycling, repurpose electronic parts, and restore habitat. Since 2015, Dell has used more than 35M pounds of closed-loop plastics.

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC)

With 3,700 employees in Texas and 60,000 employees company wide, MPC is the largest independent petroleum refining, marketing, retail, and midstream business in the U.S. In 2019, MPC invested $18.7M into the communities where they operate, accelerating economic growth, environmental preservation, and resource conservation.

Overland Partners Architects + Urban Design

Overland provides comprehensive services in architectural design, urban design, and master planning throughout the world – designing well known places like the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Already achieving milestones in CO2 reduction, water reuse, and waste diversion, Overland is committed to transitioning to Net Zero Carbon on all projects by 2030.

Stantec

With over 500 employees in Texas, Stantec provides professional consulting services internationally in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, and more. Stantec annually invests ~$3M to develop innovative technologies and approaches to encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

Vistra

Vistra is the largest competitive residential electricity provider in the country and serves nearly 5M residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers with electricity and natural gas. In addition to $700M invested in renewables, Vistra donated $3.5M+ to programs across 11 states in 2019 and has reclaimed 85,000+ acres of land.

WHAT WE CONSUME

AGRICULTURE, FOOD, BEVERAGE, & GROCERY, HOSPITALITY & ENTERTAINMENT, AND RETAIL

With a population of 28.9 million expected to double by 2050, Texas both produces and consumes at Texas-sized levels. Four industries are at the forefront: Agriculture, Retail, Hospitality & Entertainment, and Food, Beverage, & Grocery. Home to America’s favorite grocery, Texas produces a variety of products which are featured on shelves across the nation. With 141 million acres of private working lands, Texas provides food and fiber for the world, while also providing critical wildlife habitat and ecosystem services. Beyond food and materials, Texas is the second largest hospitality employer in the U.S. and adds $400B to GDP through retail. From reducing emissions and investing in renewable energy to conserving water and reducing waste through circular recycling initiatives, industry leaders in these categories are using innovative approaches to deliver products and services to customers, while caring for the planet.

Farmer Brothers

Farmer Brothers is an American coffee roaster, wholesaler, and distributor of coffee, tea, and culinary products to the foodservice industry, serving 60,000+ establishments. While serving the finest products available, Farmer Brothers commits to sustainable cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution – diverting 527K lbs of waste in 2018 and 114 tonnes of CO2 in 2019.

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen is a community-to-table restaurant that connects North Texas communities to great food while supporting local farmers, ranchers, and artisans. In 2019 alone, Harvest welcomed 75,000 guests, providing education about local growers, sustainability, and conservation – all while diverting waste and saving energy.

H-E-B

America’s favorite grocery store, H-E-B, provides fresh food and quality products, employing 120,000+ partners in 300+ communities. H-E-B illustrates innovative sustainability throughout their operations, from state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly refrigeration and solar panel systems to turning used tires into rubber mulch, and more. H-E-B recycling efforts have saved the equivalent of 9M trees.

Plateau Land & Wildlife Management and Braun & Gresham, PLLC

Plateau and Braun & Gresham have been proudly serving landowners in Texas for 20+ years. To date, Plateau has worked with 4,304 landowners across 138 counties to increase land value by conserving, restoring and/or improving native wildlife and habitats through science-based solutions across 1,081,880 acres.

Sanderson Farms, Inc.

Employing 6,500+ people in Texas, with 18,000 employees spanning five states, Sanderson Farms is the third-largest poultry producer in the U.S. Committed to sustainable operations, Sanderson Farms saved over 620M gallons of water in 2019 through utilizing reuse water.

Sysco

With 57,000 associates, Sysco operates 326 distribution facilities worldwide, serving more than 625,000 locations providing food products to customers who prepare meals away from home. Building on 4M gallons of water saved, Sysco pledges to divert 90% of waste from landfills, source 20% of electricity from renewables, and more by 2025.

Target

With 151 Texas locations, Target’s 350,000+ team members serve guests at 1,900 stores globally. In 2019, Target reused ~151M hangers through its circular recycling program. From water conservation to renewable energy, Target is focused on better products, services, and experiences for their guests and for the planet.

SERVICES WE USE

FINANCIAL SERVICES, HEALTHCARE, MUNICIPAL SERVICES, AND TRANSPORTATION

If Texas were an independent nation, it would have the 10th largest GDP on earth. There are four industries providing services that help Texas maintain its economic advantage. Financial, municipal, transportation, and healthcare services allow Texans to enjoy jobs and access to some of the best and most innovative services in the world. Pairing the largest share of roadway and rail in the U.S. with 400 airports and healthcare focused on healthy communities through sustainability and green space, Texas is able to provide healthy living and travel. Even better, leadership in the financial sector provides the capital for continued focus on conservation and innovation. Leaders in these industries are spearheading research, shaping policy, reducing emissions, becoming carbon-neutral, using wetlands to filter water for reuse, and recycling tens of thousands of tons annually.

Citi

Citi, a leading global bank with ~10,000 colleagues in Texas, has approximately 200M customer accounts and does business in 160+ countries/jurisdictions. From financing $164B in environmental activities from 2014 to 2019 to their focus on sustainable forestry standards, Citi is committed to driving positive social and environmental impact.

City of San Antonio Office of Sustainability

San Antonio’s Office of Sustainability makes San Antonio a great place to live, work, and play by enhancing the environment, quality-of-life, and economic vitality of the city through sustainability programs. From 2011 through 2019 the city completed 414 energy efficiency projects, resulting in $1.6M in cost savings annually.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)

DART provides public transit services to move people around North Texas, serving 70M+ people annually. Public transportation is eco-friendly by nature and commuters pocket more than $4,000 per year riding DART. DART is also committed to sustainable operations with emphasis on renewable energy, recycling, and community gardens.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

DFW Airport, the second-largest U.S. airport by land area, spanning 17,2017 acres, exemplifies sustainability through land stewardship, waste diversion, energy use reduction, water reclamation, environmental education, and more. DFW Airport is also the first airport in North America and largest in the world to achieve carbon-neutral accreditation.

North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD)

NTMWD is a regional wholesale provider of water, wastewater, and solid waste disposal services for ~1.8 M North Texans. Serving a population expected to double by 2050, NTMWD focuses on natural solutions such as wetlands which treated  5B+ gallons of water for reuse and provided 1,800+ acres of habitat in 2019.

Texas Health Resources

Texas Health has a team of 24,000+ employees across 28 facilities. Texas Health strives to improve the health of people they serve and aims to operate sustainably through operational effectiveness, innovative care, and a high-performing culture. Evidence of their commitment includes over 21M gallons of water saved annually.

Texan by Nature Unveils the 2020 Texan by Nature 20

Companies Across the State of Texas Recognized in the TxN 20 for Their Leadership in Conservation & Sustainability

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Texan by Nature (TxN), a Texas-led conservation non-profit founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, today announced the honorees of the 2nd annual Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) – an official ranking of companies with Texas operations that have made a demonstrative commitment to conservation.

The TxN 20 recognizes the best and most innovative work in conservation coming from Texas-based business and operations. As part of the TxN 20, Texan by Nature honors companies across 12 industries in the Lone Star State whose ingenuity are forging new, beneficial paths in conservation. With 168 million acres of land paired with global leadership across multiple industries, Texas is fortunate to have industry leaders who see the value in partnering with conservation initiatives and developing innovative, sustainable methods and processes within their business.

“At Texan by Nature, we accelerate conservation efforts that are beneficial to our natural resources, health, and economic prosperity,” said Joni Carswell, CEO & President of Texan by Nature. “It is an honor to showcase and celebrate conservation led by Texas-based businesses that pairs our wealth of natural and business resources.”

A catalyst for thought leadership, innovative partnerships, and community-led solutions, Texan by Nature has been working with the Texas business community to implement Texas-led conservation practices, partnerships, and resources. The TxN 20 provides not only recognition to honorees, but a catalogue of best practices and metrics to industry peers.

“Congratulations to this year’s TxN 20! These companies are leaders in their industry and they are innovators in conservation. I am thrilled to recognize their efforts, and I encourage other companies to follow their example. Together, we can keep Texas thriving for the next generation,” said former First Lady and Texan by Nature founder, Laura Bush.

The TxN 20 honorees were selected based upon a stated dedication to conservation, demonstrated commitment to conservation via investment and volunteerism, measurement and reporting of spending and impact on conservation efforts, and employee engagement. Honorees were identified through submissions as well as researched via publicly available information on conservation and sustainability efforts. An esteemed, cross-industry selection committee made the final selection of honorees for the 2020 TxN 20.

Texan by Nature partner and 2020 honoree Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) was selected based on community investment, water conservation practices, employee volunteerism, habitat restoration, landfill diversion, and energy reduction measures. “It’s an honor to be recognized for our work in conservation and sustainability,” said Karen Beadle, MPC Vice President of Environment, Social & Governance and Stakeholder Engagement. “Core to our sustainability commitment is concrete action that empowers people, contributes to progress in our communities, and conserves the natural resources we all share. We’re grateful for the partnership with Texan by Nature and for their work in highlighting innovators who are elevating sustainability throughout Texas.”

2020 TxN 20 HONOREES INCLUDE:

  1. American Campus Communities
  2. CEMEX
  3. Cirrus Logic
  4. Citi
  5. City of San Antonio Office of Sustainability
  6. Dallas Area Rapid Transit
  7. Dell Technologies
  8. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
  9. Farmer Brothers
  10. Harvest Seasonal Kitchen
  11. H-E-B
  12. Marathon Petroleum Corporation
  13. North Texas Municipal Water District
  14. Overland Partners Architects + Urban Design
  15. Plateau Land & Wildlife Management and Braun & Gresham, PLLC
  16. Sanderson Farms, Inc.
  17. Stantec
  18. Sysco
  19. Target
  20. Texas Health Resources
  21. Vistra

The TxN 20 2020 Selection Committee members included:

  • Lucia Athens, LEED AP, Chief Sustainability Officer – City of Austin
  • Andrejs Avots-Avotins, MD, Ph.D., The Elizabeth & Drayton McLane Jr. Chair in Health & Wellness, Vice President of Medical Affairs, and Provider Engagement & Community Affairs – Baylor Scott & White Health
  • Tracee Bentley, President & CEO – Permian Strategic Partnership
  • Garrett Boone, Co-Founder – The Container Store & Board Member – Trinity Park Conservancy
  • Stoney Burke, Public Policy – Amazon Web Services
  • Joe Crafton, Principal – Wingshooter Investments, LLC
  • Edward Craner, Sr. Vice President – HOLT CAT
  • Matthew Crommett, Director – Lyda Hill Philanthropies / LH Capital, Inc.
  • Michael Dorff, Communications and Public Affairs – Raytheon
  • Maria Dunn, Head of ESG, Sustainability & Policy – Phillips 66
  • Kathryn Eastburn, Writer, Journalist, and Author – Self-Employed
  • Matt Fajkus, Principal Architect – Matt Fajkus Architecture & Tenured Associate Professor – UT-Austin School of Architecture
  • Smith Getterman, Director of Sustainability and Special Projects – Baylor University
  • Robert Horton, Vice President, Environmental Affairs & Sustainability – Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
  • Brenda Mainwaring, Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs – Union Pacific Railroad
  • Adair Margo, First Lady of El Paso – Tom Lea Institute
  • Richard McDonald, Director, Environmental Quality & Sustainability – H-E-B
  • James McGuire, Director, Environmental Quality & Sustainability – City of Dallas
  • Jimmy Stead, Chief Consumer Banking and Technology Officer, Group Executive Vice President – Frost Bank
  • Carlos Swonke, Director, Environmental Affairs Division – Texas Department of Transportation
  • Darrel Ward, Sr Vice President, Client Product Group – Dell Technologies
  • Neal Wilkins, President & CEO – East Foundation

Activating new investments, amplifying and accelerating innovations, and connecting partners to the resources they need to succeed, Texan by Nature offers select programs to help engage Texans in stewardship of the state’s rich land and diverse communities including the Conservation Wrangler Program, TxN Certification, the Conservation Wrangler Summit and the TxN 20. For more information on TxN partnerships and programs, or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.TxN20.org.

ABOUT TxN:

Texan by Nature (TxN) brings conservation and business together to positively impact natural resources, prosperity, and health across Texas and beyond. TxN partners deeply with conservation groups and business, acting as an accelerator for conservation groups and a strategic partner for business. Their projects and programs (TxN Conservation Wrangler, TxN Certification, Symposia Series, and TxN 20) have impacted 7M+ people, 19.5M acres, and all of Texas’ 254 counties over the last 2 years. Get involved and learn more at www.texanbynature.org and follow on Facebook @TexanbyNature, Twitter @TexanbyNature, and Instagram @texanbynature.

Read the original article here.

In San Antonio, a building designed to heal abused children

This 2020 Innovation by Design honoree embraced nature as part of the healing process.

ChildSafe is a nonprofit that’s dedicated to preventing abuse and helping abused children. So when it set out to build a new facility, it wanted to make sure the space supported parents, counselors, and kids who were navigating complex legal protocols and starting the healing process.

The center, designed by San-Antonio-based Overland Partners, has different walkways, entrances, and exits to allow children, perpetrators, and law enforcement to navigate the complex while maintaining security measures. Though environments like this can typically be sterile and strict—there’s a county police precinct in the building—Overland Partners worked to make the space peaceful and welcoming. It’s why ChildSafe’s Harvey E. Najim Children and Family Center is the winner of our 2020 Innovation by Design awards in the Wellness category.

Overland Partners made sure that there was plenty of natural light and space to walk outside—the San Antonio center is one of very few in the country with an outdoor therapy component and even has a healing garden. “Connecting to nature to help with healing was one of the guiding principles of this project, along with safety,” says Michael Rey, senior principal and vice president of operations at Overland Partners. “We wanted to make sure it was restorative. A lot of facilities like this end up looking like jail and we didn’t want it to be like that.” Rey added that Overland Partners didn’t want the building to look like a home either, as that setting can be triggering for some people.

It was a tricky balance to strike: keeping victims safe while designing a space where perpetrators can walk unaccompanied without a heavy security presence. “We need to provide a safe environment for people to meet potential perpetrators, and where staff can heal from secondary trauma as well,” says Rey. “It’s a place of reconciliation, restoration, and hope.”

The center is an important national model: Overland Partners hopes that other similar facilities that emphasize healing and connect to nature can be built throughout the country. Eventually, the county and Overland Partners would like crime to get so low that the building can be turned into a community center for all residents of the area.

See more honorees from the 2020 Innovation by Design Awards here.

Read the original article here.

Army Futures Command selects Austin Community College District as home for new AFC Software Factory

Photo credit: Austin Community College

ACC to launch national flagship training program in software development, leadership & problem solving.

The Army Futures Command (AFC) names Austin Community College District (ACC) as the home for its new Software Factory. The Software Factory at ACC will be the first of its kind and will provide a training pipeline for soldiers and ACC students. The factory is designed to help students rapidly scope and solve real-life problems through advanced software development processes.

“This is not happening at any other community college or university around the country. This is going to be a state-of-the-art facility and collaboration that doesn’t exist anywhere else. That’s the experience we want our students to have. They’ll work side-by-side with the AFC to share ideas and develop solutions,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC chancellor. “We want our students to come out of our programs with the right skill sets necessary to be successful, and AFC offers the unique opportunities to help make that happen. I couldn’t be more proud.”

“I can’t wait to get Army soldiers in here interacting with students from Austin Community College, and really the community at large.” says General John M. “Mike” Murray, AFC commanding general. “It’s going to force us to think differently about how we think about the future. I think there’s nothing but goodness here in terms of bringing fresh ideas to solve problems.”

The Software Factory at ACC is the first soldier-led software factory for the Army. The vision is to develop a pathway to two- and four- year degrees and connect soldiers and students with industry partners. ACC was selected to fill the educational need  based on the college’s reputation for being a feeder for talent, innovation of its advanced ACCelerator learning lab, and launch of its recent bachelor’s degree in software development.

“The Army selected Austin for a reason. This is where you find innovation and IT expertise,” says General Murray. “It was a natural opportunity to partner with Austin Community College, which I’ve just been a huge fan of since I got to Austin.”

“Partnerships are really what makes us run well,” says Gigi Edwards Bryant, ACC Board of Trustees chair. “To bring the military to Austin Community College District to interface with our students is the largest step we could ever take in a partnership. It will be an opportunity that our students have never seen before.”

The Software Factory at ACC will build on the college’s Computer Science/Information Technology programs and will offer specialized training for new technologies such as data science and artificial intelligence. The curriculum will be developed in partnership between Austin Community College District and Futures Command leadership, with support from invited global software development companies.

“Modern software development is not something that an individual does in a corner with headphones on anymore. Instead, now it’s about teamwork. It’s about how you function as a team to scope problems and code solutions to those problems. You can’t do it without a collaborative space, and ACC is absolutely a collaborative space,” says Maj. Vito Errico, Software Factory co-director. “It’s coming together now because local community partners here with Futures Command believe in the idea of it.”

The factory will be located at ACC’s Rio Grande Campus in downtown Austin. It will stretch out across portions of the second and third floors of the main building totaling approximately 26,500 square feet, with shared spaces for AFC and ACC students to interact.

“Being able to really nest here with ACC is going to be great, because it allows the opportunities for collaboration with academia and industry down the line,” says Maj. Jason Zuniga, Software Factory co-director.

“This is innovation at the peak. This is collaboration at the peak. This is transforming the community, and they’re a part of it,” says Dr. Rhodes.

The Software Factory at ACC is expected to open in January 2021 with its first cohort of 30 soldiers and civilians. A second cohort is expected to begin in summer 2021. More than 15,000 service members expressed interest in the first week this was announced.

For more information about AFC, visit army.mil/futures.

For more information about ACC, visit austincc.edu. To learn more about the college’s CS/IT programs, visit austincc.edu/csit.

Read the original article here.

“Austin” by Ellsworth Kelly wins 2020 DBIA Merit Award

2020 | Civic/Assembly | National Award — Merit

Austin serves as a place of refuge for the community and mecca for art patrons. The last signed work of Ellsworth Kelly, the unique shape of the building required documentation at every stage of the project for the artist to approve during an extended preconstruction phase, resulting in more than 150 sheets and multiple 3D models, renderings, and mock-ups. The challenge became the balance between building a structure that was safe for inhabitants and meeting the exacting tolerances required by the artist.

Design-Build Collaboration at Work

The Linbeck+Overland team’s approach to this project was steeped in collaboration. The architectural design process was based on capturing Kelly’s vision and understanding his intent. Successfully implementing this and achieving a museum-level of quality construction became a critical strategic endeavor. Design-build procurement allowed for optimal collaboration between team members at every stage of the project. A prolonged preconstruction process was required to ensure the construction would be exactly as the artist intended for Kelly to “sign” off as one of his artworks. The key challenge here required the team to collaboratively define a process whereby every aspect of the project would be documented and approved by the artist prior to construction beginning. Working together, Linbeck+Overland documented every detail of Kelly’s intent, which concluded in a successful project delivered as the official last work of art produced by Kelly.

Design-Build Team

Client/Owner: Owner’s Project Management Group: The University of Texas at Austin Office of Capital Projects
Design-Build Firm: Linbeck Group, LLC
Architect: Overland Partners
Engineer: ARUP
Specialty Contractors: Chamberlin Austin, LLC
Construction Duration: 19 Months
Project Cost: $10,649,241.00

 




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GrayStreet Partners acquires nonprofit’s Pearl-area HQ

San Antonio development firm GrayStreet Partners has purchased the Government Hill headquarters of a nonprofit medical equipment supplier, with plans to convert the property into a mixed-use development project.

Project MEND CEO Cathy Valdez said the charity is building a 15,100-square-foot headquarters on the city’s Northwest Side on a 3-acre property donated by GrayStreet.

The developer bought Project MEND’s 0.4-acre plot at 1201 Austin St. for $575,000 in a deal that closed in April 2019. The building is appraised at $669,050, according to Bexar County property records.

“It was great. We got a fair deal,” Valdez said. “We had no idea that we were going to be so fortunate. I think everything just fell into place. GrayStreet needed that space, and we needed the money to build a new facility.”

GrayStreet had acquired the property across the street from Project MEND’s warehouse, adjacent to its headquarters, in 2017. The site used to be San Antonio ISD’s Ben Milam Elementary School.

GrayStreet officials couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.

The nonprofit’s new home, to be located at Harry Wurzbach and Crystal Run, will cost an estimataed $2.6 million, according to state filings, with enough room for both the warehouse and administrative office.

Construction is scheduled to begin in September and expected to be complete by July 2021, Valdez said.

“This put us less than a mile from the (South Texas Medical Center),” she said.

Another perk: a bus stop in front of its headquarters, which she said will be convenient for employees and clients.

Valdez said Project MEND had outgrown the property purchased in 1998, and has been renting additional office space at 5727 Interstate 10 West, owned by Gordon Hartman Enterprises.

The 14-employee operation, which includes Valdez, refurbishes medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, crutches and hospital beds, for people with disabilities whose medical insurance denied coverage or who couldn’t otherwise afford the supplies.

The group was founded in 1992 by Murlin Johnson and formally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) the following year.

Project MEND, which stands for “Medical Equipment Network for those with Disabilities,” is running a $3.5 million capital campaign and is asking the community for donations of old medical equipment.

“We’re so close to our goal,” she said.

Weeks into the coronavirius pandemic, which started in March, Project MEND shifted to curbside service for both donors and clients. Donors can set an appointment and staff will pick up their used medical equipment on the curb. Clients can also schedule a time for a contactless delivery of the used equipment.

Clients are required to get a prescriptions from their doctors for mechanical items such as hospital beds, scooters, lifts and wheelchairs.

“Right now, it’s busy and we have even more people asking for help,” Valdez said.

GrayStreet is helping the nonprofit temporarily move its inventory into a nearby building so the developer can start construction on its new project, Valdez said.

The firm is also renovating the San Antonio Light building on Broadway for office and retail space, and planning to build a 20-story luxury hotel and office tower near the Pearl.

Read the original article on SA Express News here.

Sneak peek: Houston Botanic Garden, a worldly wonderland-in-the-making

Up a small incline along a gravel path lined with rust-colored boulders, the upland forest felt far away from Houston. More like someplace you might hike in northern Mexico.

But there we were one recent morning, roughly six blocks east of Interstate 45 South, exploring a small grove of rare Mexican sugar maples (Acer skutchii) and other trees. Workers installed hundreds of perennials and shrubs all around us, while also moving earth and boulders with heavy equipment.

The Houston Botanic Garden, which will open with four staggered weekends of activities starting Sept. 18, isn’t just coming together. During the pandemic lockdown, construction has transformed key pieces of the former Glenbrook Golf Course into a discernible natural wonderland.

A bridge leading over the Sims Bayou meander from Park Place is complete, affording views of a wetlands garden in progress and leading to the nearly complete Welcome Pavilion on the 130-acre site’s island.

A walkway of scalloped concrete arches and a long, etched wall of coral stone with slats for plant displays helps to define the low-slung, modernist building designed by Overland Partners. The walkway opens onto the centerpiece of the whole shebang, the Global Collection Garden — which is a garden of about a dozen zones that could look wildly different when they are finished.

The upland forest looks the most complete at the moment but will soon be surrounded by a tropical rainforest, a drought-tolerant sanctuary, a semi-arid Mediterranean zone, a desert, a grassy savanna, a ridge of pines and a bamboo forest.

The zones are inspired by regions of the world but not slavish to native ecosystems, said Joy Columbus, Houston Botanic Garden’s vice president of horticulture. The selections were more about representing habitats with diverse species that also can endure the Gulf Coast’s hot, humid climate.

Smaller sections of the global collection feature the discoveries of Texas botanists, pollinator plants and plants with colorful leaves. Curiosities of the plant world that have fascinating form and structure will fill one corner, “to inspire the botanist in all of us and encourage people to think beyond flowers,” Columbus said.

The Global Collection Garden will contain about 350 different species of plants, Columbus said. That’s about a third of the “complete taxa” that now grows across the botanic garden property. Installed in huge multiples, they comprise more than 37,000 plants.

“And the list keeps growing every day,” Columbus said, because professionals across the botanical world are excited about the Houston project and offering to share plants. “It’s fun just to view this as the starting point,” she said.

A couple of “curiosity cabinets” — elegant, Zen-like sheds in the spirit of European wunderkammern — are in place around the global garden. They will hold small treasures visitors can examine up close. Near the savanna, a dramatic water feature called “the Dewdrop” looks almost ready to turn on.

Crews are building the drainage system and subsoil base for the large Culinary Garden on the other side of the Welcome Pavilion, which also will have plants grouped by regions. What’s below the surface matters just as much as the plants that people will ooh and aah over, Columbus said. “A lot of people have put a lot of sweat into this project.”

The firm West 8 is designing and managing the project. Harvey Cleary Builders is the general contractor. Clark Condon designed the garden’s planting and soil, and Landscape Art is installing it.

Less intensely planted areas also will open in September. There will be a woodland glade for weddings; and Houston’s confluence of eco-regions will be visible with a coastal prairie garden and the stormwater-wetlands garden, which is a project of Texas A&M’s Texas Community Watershed Partners.

The Susan Garver Family Discovery Garden, created from a former water hazard on the far side of the property, has been finished since the spring. Its boardwalk circles what is now a wildlife-friendly lagoon. At one end, a sandy pad of interactive pumps and other water play devices promises to deliver squeals of delight from small humans.

The garden’s diversity reflects the city’s. To emphasize that, each of the opening season’s four weekends will highlight the plants, food and culture of a different part of the world. Sept. 18-20, it’s Latin America; Oct. 2-4, Asia; Oct. 16-18, Africa; and Oct. 30-Nov. 1, the Mediterranean.

The organization exceeded its Phase 1 funding goal, raising $38.5 million to get the garden opened. Phase 2 involves “taking a breather” on construction to build the collections, research work and programming, said executive director Claudia Gee Vassar.

Phase 3, likely years away, could bring an education/events building and a seasonal display area aimed at home gardeners.

“We want to engage people with more than just being a place to visit,” Vassar said, “so they really get to learn about plants.”

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Festival of BIM & Digital Construction – Advanced Surveying and Adaptation into BIM

(3.00pm UK Time / 10.00am Eastern Daylight / 10.00pm Singapore Standard Time)

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Learn More

  • Exploring the latest techniques of survey capture and translation into asset information for design
  • Learn how by adapting survey information we can safeguard for the future our most valued historic building
  • Explaining the principles of capture and conversion into modelled information including linked photography
  • Learn how visualising a design is speeding up the design process for restoration works

Speaker: Dan Hoogeveen, Head of Digital and Design Technology, Purcell

Panel Discussion: Archviz in Your Daily Workflows: Using the Enscape Real-time Rendering Solution to Boost Collaboration in Any Situation

  • The field of architectural visualization has come a long way. What was once a vey time consuming and cost-intensive process that only larger firms could afford has now become more accessible thanks to real-time rendering.
  • Real-time rendering with Enscape is a gamechanger as it allows the process of planning and designing on CAD modelling tools to occur at the same time as visualizing 3D walkthroughs. Whether you’re an architect, construction worker, or client, everyone can experience the project as if it was already built. This concept allows all project members to get a deeper understanding of the design phases and provides a more efficient way of working collaboratively.
  • In this panel discussion, we’ll explore the different approaches of how Enscape is helping AEC companies today in dealing with the realities of COVID-19, from remote collaboration to the impact on essential workers.
  • Join this group of AEC experts and take away new ideas of how collaboration looks like in times of crisis. We’ll showcase creative rendering and collaboration use cases that will leave you motivated and inspired.

Moderator:

Matt McMullen, Executive Director of The Art of Construction, Enscape

Panellists:

James Lancaster, Associate Principal, Overland Partners Architecture & Urban Design

Fabio Roberti, Associate / Head of BIM, WilkinsonEyre

Chitwan Saluja, Digital Delivery Manager, Jacobs Engineering

Ian Peter Atkins, BIM Manager, Populous

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Design Build Team Selected for School of Data Science and National Security Center

JUNE 9, 2020 — The University of Texas at San Antonio today announced it has awarded the contract for design build services for its School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center, two major initiatives at its Downtown Campus that will serve as the hub for its data intelligence and cybersecurity programs.

Whiting-Turner | Jacobs | Overland has been selected to design and construct the building, which will house both programs. The $90 million facility is slated to open in 2022 on a property that abuts the San Pedro Creek project just east of the existing Downtown Campus footprint. Once completed and occupied, the building will house programs anchoring UTSA to San Antonio’s burgeoning high-tech corridor. It is also adjacent to the Continental Hotel redevelopment project, led by Weston Urban. Some housing for students, staff and faculty will be available because of that project.

The School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center are part of UTSA’s vision to help the university earn national recognition as a research-intensive institution. It is a critical component of UTSA’s Campus Master Plan, which charts a course for the university to reach new levels of excellence over the next 10 years.

“This project will set UTSA and San Antonio apart as pioneers in data science and cybersecurity.”

“The School of Data Science will be the first of its kind in Texas and, combined with the power of the National Security Collaboration Center, will be a formidable leader in addressing national security challenges,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said. “I am grateful to Graham Weston for his original lead gift of $15 million that enabled this project to go forward with support from The University of Texas Board of Regents and University of Texas System, the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. Partnering with our city’s high-tech leaders, this project will set UTSA and San Antonio apart as pioneers in data science and cybersecurity while providing innovative solutions for government and industry.”

Whiting-Turner | Jacobs | Overland was one of three top teams evaluated for the design contract, based on 12 criteria: project site planning and exterior place making; building program; design intent; security, information technology and communication systems; safety management program; construction phase services; project execution plan; estimating and cost control measures; project planning and scheduling; warranty and service support program; quality control and commissioning program; and pricing and delivery.

Selection was made using a qualitative blind scoring system that ranked their proposals as the best value to the university for the project based on those 12 criteria.

The new facility will house the School of Data Science, including 84,500 square feet of classroom, laboratory and research space. The new school will place UTSA’s 70-plus faculty members in cybersecurity, cloud computing, data and analytics, and artificial intelligence under one roof in the heart of the city to provide government, industry and community partners with access to UTSA’s nationally recognized programs and talent.

The School of Data Science will become the home to UTSA’s departments of Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Statistics and Data Sciences, Information Systems and Cyber Security, and the Open Cloud Institute.

The new facility will also include 72,000 square feet of innovation space, laboratories and research facilities for the National Security Collaboration Center. It will serve as a hub for government, university and industry partners in the cybersecurity field, focusing on forensics; visualization and analytics; network security, cyber training and workforce development; big data analytics and privacy; postquantum cryptography, cyber-physical systems and embedded security; the security of the cloud; attack and threat modeling and mitigation; machine learning and artificial intelligence; and platform, software and hardware integrity.

The Downtown Campus already includes academic programs administered by the College of Architecture, Construction and Planning; the College for Health, Community and Policy; and the College of Education and Human Development.

— Valerie Bustamante and Joe Izbrand

Read the original article here.