The Business Case for Sustainability

SAN ANTONIO, TX—With ongoing discussions surrounding climate change, one unarguable fact is that sustainability is becoming a hot topic within all industries. As the city of San Antonio crafts its first-ever climate plan, Skanska USA demonstrates its passion for office location communities and one of the ways it does that is by building sustainably.

“The ‘S’ word, i.e., sustainability, comes with an endless list of opinions, depending on who you talk to, because sustainability truths come with almost as many myths about what it is and what it isn’t,” Steve Lyons, newly promoted vice president of business development at Skanska USA in San Antonio, tells GlobeSt.com. “One thing is certain: it’s better when we listen to each other and work together to create safe, healthy cities for future generations.”

Skanska recently completed the first consolidated administrative office building for its client, the Alamo Colleges District, and its 500 employees. The new home office increases employee efficiency, incorporates sustainable and local materials, and preserves an important piece of San Antonio history for future generations.

In terms of reducing the carbon footprint, employees will no longer waste time driving to and from meetings. Previously, employees made the approximately 30-mile drive between Northwest Vista College and the Northeast Lakeview campus for meetings.

“Additionally, we were proud to provide our client some beautiful, sustainable elements, most notably the glue-laminated timber roof structure,” Lyons tells GlobeSt.com. “Our design partners at Ford, Powell & Carson and West East Design Group incorporated the beautiful roof systems. Incorporating timber into this project is a smart practice since the timber can be replanted to replace the materials we used on this roof structure. We see the use of timber as a growing trend in the built environment and it’s a great way to achieve carbon neutrality.”

Skanska worked closely with the client, design team and its subcontractor RM Rogers to include the glue-laminated timber roof structure into the project while still staying within the overall budget. Taking an integrated approach to the construction of this project enabled the team to incorporate sustainable features while being fiscally responsible.

“Looking ahead, these are just two practical examples of how we can incorporate sustainable measures in the built environment,” Lyons tells GlobeSt.com. “I strongly believe that the design and construction community can be active participants in the climate discussion. This will help to preserve and protect San Antonio for another 300 years.”

The city released San Antonio Climate Ready in January. It is an initiative that falls in line with its commitment to the Paris Climate Accord, which the city council signed onto in 2017.

The plan includes stopping the use of coal power plants in San Antonio, reducing energy consumption by buildings and increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road. The city’s chief sustainability officer Doug Melnick says the plan is designed to ensure it is on the right track to curb emissions as the city adds new residents, according to Texas Public Radio.