Cy-fair architecture firm to present green ideas in Dallas

VLK Architects will be presenting at the Sustainable Showcase 2011 on Thursday, July 14, in Dallas.

Project Architect Clinton Schiver will highlight VLK’s recently built Elizabeth Hoggatt Whatley Agriculture Complex, which is the country’s first NetZero, LEED Platinum agriculture facility. NetZero means the building produces more energy than it uses.

Schiver will present the specific, sustainable design strategies utilized by VLK in order to achieve LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, including the use of solar photovoltaic arrays and a wind turbine to produce onsite renewable energy, a rainwater catchment basin to collect and filter water for onsite use, and high-efficiency lighting for energy optimization.   

“Farming technology is growing and the advances are being taught in our higher education institutions,” said Sloan Harris, senior associate and project director at VLK Architects, in the press release. “There is an emphasis on regaining an agrarian strength in this country. The fact that the Elizabeth Hoggatt Whatley Agriculture Complex is in a rural community stresses the fact that sustainability can be achieved in all areas, making it an ideal case study for this conference.”

The conference allows leaders in the architecture, engineering, contracting and development industries to learn about the latest green building products, technologies and knowledge.    

For more information on the conference, visit www.ntxsustainableshowcase.com.

With offices in Fort Worth and Houston, VLK Architects provides architecture, planning and interior design services to kindergarten through 12th grade, higher education, and corporate and institutional clients throughout Texas.