Sustainability + Building Performance
View our LEED projects
As architects, our work has a significant impact on the well-being of people and the planet. At Kirksey, we make it our responsibility to strive for high performance in our designs and operations. Our goal is to meet the highest standards of our industry in terms of resource efficiency, limiting emissions, and enhancing human health, and exceed them where possible. We create spaces that are inspiring, healthy, resilient, and profitable.
Kirksey is committed to the 2030 Challenge, which targets carbon-neutrality for all new buildings and major renovations by the year 2030. As part of our efforts to meet this goal, we developed our Basic Green imperative, an internal framework that prescribes a minimum standard of sustainability for all Kirksey projects, regardless of whether they are pursuing any green building certification. Kirksey is also a signatory of the AIA 2030 Commitment since 2013, tracking the predicted energy performance of millions of square feet of projects across all our market sectors. We are committed to sustainable design and business practices, Kirksey has operated as a carbon-neutral company since 2018.
Leaders in LEED
Recognized by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) as a LEED Proven Provider, Kirksey has the depth of experience to deliver timely LEED certifications that optimize value and minimize environmental impacts. Our Proven Provider status allows for abbreviated review periods and an overall streamlined LEED certification process. Our Sustainability & Building Performance team – an in-house group of sustainability specialists – are responsible for over 130 LEED certified projects spanning five rating systems and totaling more than 38 million square feet.
Average results across Kirksey’s LEED portfolio include:
- 22% energy savings
- 41% interior water use savings
- 63% irrigation water savings
- 75% construction waste diverted
Leading by example, the Kirksey office building in Houston was the first building in Texas to receive LEED for Existing Buildings certification. We were the first firm in Houston to achieve LEED certifications for projects across three rating systems: LEED for New Construction, LEED for Core & Shell, and LEED for Commercial Interiors. We were also the first firm in the Gulf Coast region to achieve a LEED for Existing Building Platinum rating and first in the state to achieve LEED for Existing Buildings.
Sustainable Design Services
Green Building Certification
A LEED Proven Provider, Kirksey’s Sustainability & Building Performance team is highly experienced in LEED and a variety of other green building certification standards, including WELL, Fitwel, and the Living Building Challenge. Our full-service approach means a comprehensive and seamless process for the entire project team while pursuing the highest possible certification level of each rating system.
Building Performance Simulation
Our in-house specialists employ advanced software to predict building performance and inform smart building decisions about energy, daylight, air flow, thermal comfort, and other green building strategies.
Education
Understanding the complexities of green building strategies can give your project a competitive advantage. Kirksey sustainability experts assimilated what we have learned and developed a rigorous training program about LEED and green building principles. Over 2,200 industry professionals have been educated through our program.