Austin Community College’s Highland Campus has earned Gold level LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. It is the first ACC campus built to LEED gold standards.

“LEED certification is an internationally known recognition that demonstrates ACC’s commitment to protecting the environment, while saving money for the district through energy-efficient, water-saving building design and construction,” says Andy Kim, director of energy & sustainability. “This is a great honor for ACC.”

Large cisterns for collecting water are among the sustainable features of Highland Campus.

Some of the sustainable features of the campus:

• Water reclamation system that collects rainwater and air-conditioning (AC) condensate for toilet flushing and make-up water for the AC cooling towers
• Water-efficient plumbing fixtures that reduce water consumption by 23 percent
• Reserved parking for low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles and carpool vehicles

Materials from the former Highland Mall and elsewhere also were recycled and repurposed for the campus. Almost 83 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills.

See a complete list of Highland Campus sustainability features, or visit the online building dashboard to view the building’s energy consumption in real time and learn conservation tips.

Highland Campus is the fourth ACC campus built to LEED certification standards. Hays, Elgin, and Round Rock Campuses each earned Silver certification. The Rio Grande parking garage was the first ACC building to achieve a green building rating.

For more information on ACC’s sustainability efforts, visit austincc.edu/sustainability.

Tags: Highland Campus, LEED, sustainability