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Built on a brownfield site adjacent to the new $200 million Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas - the House has 30 guest rooms, multi-use common areas and administrative offices. Austin-based TBG’s design also incorporated three Hydrotech green roof systems, all of which contain native, drought-tolerant plant species that reflect the natural setting of the Texas Hill Country. These green roofs combine with the use of high albedo concrete to reduce heat island effect throughout the site.
In addition, the House has a 10.8 kilowatt (kW) solar array on the rooftop, which was donated and funded by Green Mountain Energy Company and Austin Energy. Consisting of 54 photovoltaic solar panels and covering nearly 950 square feet of roof space, the array will power at least half of the rooms in the House with solar energy. It will also minimize emission of harmful greenhouse gases, offsetting more than 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, which removes the CO2 equivalent of driving more than 33,000 miles. This integrated solar array makes it the first solar-powered Ronald McDonald House in the world.
Beyond the actual site development and strategies, the project also provides tangible consumer education opportunities and access with a comprehensive user-education program that will help House guests appreciate and make the best use of their new green home and site. In addition, there is an educational kiosk within the House that explains how the solar array works and how it contributes to the building's energy efficiency.
The Ronald McDonald House certainly earns kudos for its commitment to sustainable design and setting a standard for using renewable technologies in development.
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