Forward Progression..

Can you guess which city proudly boasts one of the greenest urban parks in the United States? Houston may not be your first choice, but in actuality this once concrete jungle is really beginning to turn the corner on sustainable design. The park, Discovery Green, received a Gold L.E.E.D rating in 2009 and encompasses a 12 acre area nestled between the Brown Convention Center, Hilton Hotel, and the Toyota Center. This park, is not only constructed on a Brownfield site, but it also went to extensive methods in the construction process to reduce its pollutant emissions. The buildings constructed within Discovery Green use natural passive air flow techniques and open air platforms which help to reduce direct sun to interior areas of the buildings, consequently naturally cooling the buildings. Discovery Green also has an extremely efficient irrigation system, and it even cleans reuses collected rainwater to help increase the water level of neighboring lakes. Thus it’s an incredible step forward for a city that at one time was blanketed by paved impervious surfaces. Discovery Green has pledged in the future years to generate up to a third of its power from green renewable sources, thus making great strides for the city health of Houston.