TxN 20 Industry Highlights — Architecture, Design, and Development
Leave a Comment2022 TxN 20: Texan leadership in conservation for a sustainable future in Architecture.
The Texan by Nature team is excited to present the fourth annual list of Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) Honorees. TxN 20 recognizes outstanding work in conservation and sustainability from Texas-based businesses.
It’s an opportunity to showcase innovation, commitment to conservation, and best practices from the industries that keep Texas running: Agriculture, Architecture, Financial Services, Food, Beverage, & Grocery, Technology, Energy, Healthcare, Municipal Services, Retail, Transportation, and Construction & Manufacturing.
Turning their pledge into action, this company has diverted 100.73 Metric Tons of CO2 through carbon offsets purchases – 2022 Honoree: Overland Partners
Who is Overland Partners?
Overland Partners is a San Antonio-based architecture and urban design company setting the standard in infusing stewardship into architectural practice.
Overland Partners implements a rigorous sustainability review process, reevaluating their goals and commitments every three years with 100% of their employees committed to carbon emission reduction. Their pledge to the American Institute of Architecture’s 2030 commitment means they have reported emissions data annually since 2014.
From this commitment comes action. Overland Partners’ PV panels reduce the amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels. Through the purchase of annual carbon offsets for its operations, Overland Partners offset 100.73 Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in 2021. These offsets translate to the carbon offset from roughly 600 mature trees. The work doesn’t stop there. Overland Partners’ in-house composting program amounts to 5,475 gallons of waste (454 pounds of methane) diverted from landfills each year.
A Global Design Powerhouse Saving 21 Billion Gallons of Water — 2022 Honoree Stantec
Who is Stantec?
Stantec is an international engineering, architecture, and design consulting firm that serves a wide range of projects and communities. Experts in innovation, Stantec worked with a top technology company to help improve water conservation and prevent pollution across its supply chain, supporting everything from engineering to capacity building.
Stantec’s conservation efforts start at the source, investing $4.4 million to support communities, granting $830,000 in STEM scholarships for underrepresented and BIPOC communities, and providing more than $610,000 in STEM grants. During the annual Stantec in the Community Week (SITC) Stantec employees engage in conservation and volunteering efforts for the communities they serve. In 2021, 2946 employees donated time to 341+ community organizations.
Why Forward-Thinking Leaders in Architecture, Design, and Development Matter
Reducing consumption of non-renewable resources, minimizing waste, and creating efficient, healthy, and productive environments are key to building a sustainable future. By making environmentally conscious design decisions at every phase of a project, architects and designers are reducing the negative impacts and carbon footprint of our environment. Smart, forward-thinking designs ensure a future tradeoff of less carbon emissions, less energy consumed, and more water conserved throughout a building’s life cycle. These decisions, combined with community efforts and investments in conservation are driving Texas to a more sustainable future.
How TxN20 Honorees Are Selected Each Year
To select the 2022 TxN 20 Honorees, the TxN Team evaluated submissions and conducted independent research across 2,000+ of Texas’ publicly traded and private companies in 12 key industry sectors.
All companies were evaluated on a 17-point scoring system, from which the top 60 highest-scoring companies moved on to the final round of TxN 20. A selection committee of top industry leaders and experts was then formed to evaluate the top 60 companies and select the final 20 businesses recognized as TxN 20 Honorees.
Honorable Mentions: Standouts in Sustainability
In addition to this year’s TxN 20 honorees, here are three industry standouts for best practices in conservation and sustainability coming from companies across the architecture, design, and development industry.
Industry Innovator: Dewberry
- Since 2014, Dewberry has reported annual sustainability data for the American Institute of Architecture 2030 Commitment. 94.3% of their projects have met the 25% lighting density reduction target.
- Dewberry’s Engineering Innovation Building demonstrates a commitment to sustainable design, with a large native grass space and a high-efficiency mechanical system providing a 30% indoor water use reduction and saving 6,795,990 gallons of water thus far.
Industry Innovator: Jacobs
- Jacobs has overseen large global projects, such as the Pensacola East Bay Oyster Habitat Restoration Project, which, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, placed 33 oyster reefs along the Santa Rosa shoreline and has expanded to the continent’s largest reef reconstruction project.
- Focusing on the future, Jacobs’ Butterfly Effect program is a new Climate Response Education Initiative teaching young students to learn about sustainability and making positive impacts on climate change.
Industry Innovator: Gensler
- With over 188 million square feet of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) registered and 110 million square feet of LEED-certified building projects, Gensler has been able to divert 150 million tons of waste and save 1.2 billion gallons of water annually.
- Within a decade, Gensler has committed to eliminating all future net emissions.
Get Involved:
Is your company at the forefront of conservation and environmental sustainability in Texas? Do you want to be recognized for your efforts? Contact Texan by Nature at programs@texanbynature.org.
To be considered for the official TxN 20 list, companies must:
- Have operations and employees based in Texas;
- Share a demonstrated commitment to conservation & sustainability;
- Showcase tangible efforts, impact, and data in conservation;
- NOT be a conservation-based nonprofit (501c3).