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Austin Chapter Goes Green
Executive director supports sustainable design House
I believe we have a responsibility for the families who stay with us, for the resources we consume and for stewardship of the public trust. In embracing that responsibility, I believe RMHC will establish itself globally as a leader in promoting sustainable design principles.
— Kent Burress, executive director of RMHC of Austin and Central Texas
Kent Burress, executive director of RMHC of Austin and Central Texas, shows Ronald McDonald the site of the new solar powered Ronald McDonald House being built in Austin.
Kent Burress, executive director of RMHC of Austin and Central Texas, knew the Ronald McDonald House in Austin, Texas, needed to expand. The 13-bedroom House wasn’t large enough to serve the needs of an area where pediatric and neonatal hospital units continue to grow. So when the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas offered the Chapter a site to build a new Ronald McDonald House, Kent couldn’t refuse. The Chapter could build a Ronald McDonald House near the hospital, but there was a condition: Because Dell Children’s Medical Center is built with the green building standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, the House would need to be built to meet LEED standards, too.
Matching Missions
People initially thought the project could be too costly, and they didn’t understand exactly how the House would be designed. But Kent educated himself about sustainable design and construction, and he learned the House would be built to meet standards in water efficiency, energy use, material selection and indoor environmental quality. He shared the information with his Board of Directors, and they began to understand that many aspects of sustainable design added few upfront costs, and the long-term savings in energy and maintenance costs would offset any higher initial costs incurred.
Kent realized that using sustainable design for the House aligned with the RMHC mission and would provide an environment bettering the physical, mental and emotional health of its guests. “It is simply the right thing to do,” Kent says. “The more we learned, the more it became evident that there is a real synergy between sustainable design practices and our mission.”
Plans for the House moved forward, and the Chapter launched its “Many Hands Make a Home” campaign to raise funds for the new House. Construction broke ground May 2007, and the 30-bedroom Ronald McDonald House will open December 2007.
Sustainable Structure
Kent is excited to unveil the Ronald McDonald House that will provide a supportive living environment for its guests, with abundant natural lighting, toxin-free materials, native landscaping and carefully controlled indoor air quality.
Building the House with green principles will give the Chapter significant financial efficiencies over the building’s life. The solar-powered House will generate enough energy to power 15 bedrooms in the House and will offset 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually — the equivalent of driving 33,000 miles.
As a member of the RMHC Global Advisory Council, Kent has been sharing his knowledge about sustainable design with other local RMHC Chapters. Several Ronald McDonald Houses in the United States and Canada have recently built Houses using eco-friendly design principles, too.
“It is a privilege to help produce a healthier, more efficient and sustainable building,” Kent says. “I believe we have a responsibility for the families who stay with us, for the resources we consume and for stewardship of the public trust. In embracing that responsibility, I believe RMHC will establish itself globally as a leader in promoting sustainable design principles.”
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