Click to edit Master subtitle style

PROJECT PROFILE

LEED® Facts

NASA Johnson Space Center

Building 12

Houston, TX

LEED for New Construction version 2.2 -

Certification Awarded August 2013

Gold 43*

Sustainable Sites 10/14

Water Efficiency 2/5

Energy & Atmosphere 13/17

Materials & Resources 3/13

Indoor Environmental Quality 12/15

Innovation & Design 3/5

*Out of a possible 69 points

Johnson Space Center

Building 12

Houston, Texas

LEED for New Construction

2% Renewable Energy Produced on site

13% Materials used are recycled content

44% Reduced Potable Water Usage

95% Construction Waste Diverted

100% Line of site daylighting views
Click to edit Master subtitle style

PROJECT PROFILE

NASA Johnson Space Center – Building 12

Managing our Natural & Fiscal Resources

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

NASA now has its 33rd LEED-certified facility, the Building 12 – Administrative Support 

Building, at the Johnson Space Center. The 67,348 sqft LEED Gold facility is a renovated 

building housing 260 employees from Human Resources, Finance and Education. Several 

sustainable features of Building 12 include a green roof, use of low flow water fixtures, an 

under floor air distribution system, external aluminum sunshades with photovoltaic cells 

integrated into the blades of the sunshades producing 2% of the buildings power, and interior 

lighting controlled by occupancy sensors with daylight harvesting. 

SUSTAINABLE SITES (10/14)

Building 12 provided Brownfield redevelopment by removing all asbestos from the existing 

building in the new design. 24 bicycle storage facilities have been provided to serve 5.3% of 

building occupants, measured at peak occupancy, and two shower facilities for 0.66% of the 

building occupants. No new parking was added, and there is 1 preferred parking space for 

low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles. The project has implemented a storm water 

management plan that results in no net increase (rate and quantity) in runoff from calculated 

pre-project conditions, for the one- and two-year, 24-hour storm events. 67.48% of the site 

hardscape has been paved with highly reflective materials. The calculations provided in the 

template indicate that of the 14,672 square feet of total site hardscape, 9,901 square feet 

have been paved with non-colored concrete.

WATER EFFICIENCY (2/5)

The project has reduced potable water use by 43.7% from a calculated baseline design 

through the installation of dual-flush water closets, low-flush urinals, and low-flow lavatory 

faucets, showers, and kitchen sinks.

ENERGY & ATMOSPHERE (13/17)

The project has achieved an energy cost savings of 36% using the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 

Appendix G methodology. Energy efficiency measures include an improved thermal envelope, 

high efficiency glazing, reduced interior lighting power density, and high efficiency chillers. 

The project has also purchased Green-e accredited Tradable Renewable Certificates (RECs) 

equal to 137.3% of the predicted annual electrical consumption over a two-year period. 

MATERIALS & RESOURCES (3/13)

The project has diverted 95.23% of on-site generated construction waste from landfill, and 

12.63% of the total building materials content, by value, have been manufactured using 

recycled materials. . 

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (12/15)

Carbon dioxide concentrations are monitored within all densely occupied spaces and that 

direct airflow measurement devices have been provided for each mechanical ventilation 

system serving non-densely occupied spaces. The template further states that monitoring 

equipment has been configured to generate an alarm when conditions vary by 10% or more 

from the setpoint. Lighting controls are provided to enable 100% of occupants to make 

adjustments to suit individual task needs and preferences, and to permit transient groups to 

share lighting controls in all shared multi-occupant spaces. And, the project has provided 

direct daylight line of sight views for 100% of all regularly occupied areas. 

INNOVATION IN DESIGN (3/5)

The project team has received exemplary performance credit for diverting 95.23% of 

Construction Waste, and for a 43.7% reduction in water usage.

“The building is very open and 

inviting. Going from the old building 

to the new one is like going from 

night to day. Even though it is an 

open floor plan, you still have 

privacy in the huddle rooms and 

offices, and the white noise really 

helps reduce noise throughout the 

building.” 

Stephen Williams

NASA JSC HR Representative

Owner: NASA, Johnson Space Center 

Architect: HDR Architecture

Structural Engineer: HDR Architecture

MEP Engineer: HDR Architecture

Commissioning Authority: 

Horizon Engineering

Contractor: Satterfield & Pontikes

Project Size: 67,348 SF

Project Cost: $18,321,129

Completion: August 2012

Photography: HDR Architecture, Inc.; 

© 2013 HDR, Inc.

ABOUT LEED

The LEED Green Building Rating 

System is the national benchmark for 

the design, construction, and operations 

of high-performance green buildings. 

Visit the U.S. Green Building Council’s 

Web site at www.usgbc.org and the TX 

Gulf Coast Chapter of USGBC at 

www.usgbctexasgulfcoast.org to learn 

more about how you can make LEED 

work for you.