HONOREE SIZE & INDUSTRY: Mid-Size  – Architecture, Design, and Development

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Founded in 1987 in San Antonio, Overland Partners Architects + Urban Design (Overland) brings together a creative, international community of problem-solvers to create human-centered architecture, master planning and urban design in places of cultural and national significance around the globe. Through a rigorous, collaborative process, Overland brings clients’ wisdom to center stage to unlock the embedded potential of their visions, creating innovative, equitable, sustainable solutions focused on well-being and human transformation. Sensitive to the environmental and aesthetic contexts of their projects, Overland thoughtfully integrates technology, art, and craft to make places worthy of affection. Their projects in Texas and across the United States, China, Latin America, and the Middle East are diverse, encompassing civic and cultural work, education, hospitality, nonprofits and urban design. Their work has received more than 200 international, national, regional, and local design awards and has been published in numerous national and international publications. A Texas Society of Architects’ Firm of the Year, Overland’s commitment to sustainable design and development is built into their projects from the micro to macro level. As they move into the future, they are committed to transitioning to Net Zero Carbon on all of their projects by 2030.  

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS STRATEGY 

Stewardship is one of Overland’s Core Values. At the enterprise level and as well as individually, they are committed to being good stewards of the Earth, its resources, and its people. Operating from this mindset, their approach to sustainability and conservation enables Overland to fulfill their mission of “modeling how we should live and influencing the world through the practice of architecture.” In 2015 and 2018, Overland was recognized by Architect Magazine’s “Top 50 in Design” and “Top 50 in Sustainability” in 2016. The Architect 50 ranks the top 50 firms in the U.S. based on business, sustainability, and design.

For over 30 years, Overland has been a leader in sustainability and conservation beginning with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Upon completion in 1998, it was the largest water harvesting building in North America and one of the prototype projects that set the standard for the LEED Certification framework, helping to launch Austin’s Green Building movement. For the Wildflower Center project Overland, employed “total resource conservation” while showcasing the beauty and benefits of native landscape. They employed a complex range of what were for that time novel techniques, including site analysis, material selection, energy use planning, and construction. Many of the sustainable practices employed are now part of standard best practices in architecture, such as passive solar heating, pragmatic building orientation, use of recycled and reclaimed materials, and reuse of excavated material integrated in the design. Uniting the entire complex is the rainwater harvesting system, capable of collecting 300,000 gallons of rainwater per year.

In Overland’s work over the past decades and continuing to today, the company has remained on the forefront of sustainable and resilient design, thought leadership, and serves as an industry leader in conservation best practices – with dozens of LEED Certifications over the years and current projects pursuing leading-edge certifications including Living Building, Living Community, WELL, and SITES. Overland’s own office has received national recognition as an AIA COTE Top 10 Award Winning Building. This attitude of sustainability permeates the culture of Overland with 65% of their staff registered as LEED Accredited Professionals and employing more Living Future Accredited Professionals than any other architecture firm in America.

EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP

While the culture of conservation and stewardship is ubiquitous at Overland, there are several individuals who serve as thought leaders in this space:

Bob Shemwell, FAIA, LEED AP

Bob is a Senior Principal at Overland and has led the firm’s sustainability and conservation efforts for decades. Bob has served as design principal on a number of the firm’s most significant projects. He has also been actively involved in the United States Green Building Council at both the local and national levels. 

Sustainability Officers

• John Byrd, AIA, LEED AP, LFA 
• Benjamin Rosas, AIA, LFA
• Brady Dietert, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
• Rebecca Sibley, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
• Cameron Patterson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Learn about how designers and architects can be better advocates for sustainability from Benjamin Rosas.

CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

Sustainable Design and Development

Overland has adopted many commitments to industry-leading conservation efforts. The firm views sustainability as a process of continuous improvement, applying a holistic approach to synthesizing best practices from around the industry into a systematic framework they developed called The Human Handprint™. The methodology of The Human Handprint™ was developed with the conviction that well-designed facilities do not just happen; they are the product of deliberate and well-orchestrated processes of information gathering, assimilation, and analysis. This methodology defines project objectives before pencil touches paper and is based, not simply on what a project should look like, but on how it should perform. It is used to organize the design process, monitor its progress, foster best practices, and evaluate effectiveness in achieving desired outcomes. It draws upon qualities and strategies found in Overland’s best work as well as best practices from numerous rating systems and disciplines such as LEED, Living Building Challenge, WELL, biophilic design, and positive psychology. The (5) key pillars of measurement include: Aspiration, Inspiration, Relationships, Stewardship, and Well-Being. Learn more about what The Human Handprint™ entails and its significance beyond the scope of architecture here.

Since many of Overland’s projects are designed in public spaces, contributing to the urban fabric within a broader public ecosystem, the positive impact of The Human Handprint™ and nature-based design touches thousands of people. ChildSafe for example, opened their new Harvey E. Najim Children and Family Center in August 2019. This project alone has had a profound impact on children, families, staff and ChildSafe’s multidisciplinary partners. Particularly amid COVID19, ChildSafe’s park-like setting and nature based design have supported their operations and ability to deliver essential services to children who are victims of child abuse throughout the pandemic.

In addition to The Human Handprint™, Overland is committed to the AIA 2030 Challenge and actively involved in the following initiatives:

AIA 2030 Challenge: Overland has committed to the American Institute of Architects’ challenge to transition to Net Zero Carbon on ALL of their Projects by the year 2030. This is a radical commitment from a business perspective and requires advocacy and technical know-how at every level on all projects.  

International Living Future Institute: Overland is a recognized thought leader in the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) community. With several Living Building and Living Community projects on the boards. Overland has also been invited to speak at their International Annual Conference and have received accolades for excellence in Biophilic Design for Overland’s Laity Lodge project in Leakey, TX. ILFI is recognized throughout the industry for pushing the boundaries of sustainable design and conservation. Their mission is to create a truly sustainable and resilient world where the natural and built environment are in sync with one another and are designed to be mutually beneficial… where the Land is better due to human intervention, not simply “less bad”.  

International WELL Building Institute: Focused on the human aspect of well-being, Overland has a number of projects pursuing WELL certification, which is focused on creating restorative environments that promote health and wellness for all occupants, relevant now more than ever. 

Below are some of Overland’s projects, in addition to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Laity Lodge, from across Texas that also demonstrate their commitment to sustainability:

• Baylor School of Business, Waco, TX | LEED Gold Certified
• Hermann Park Lake Plaza – Houston, TX | LEED Gold Certified
• University Health System – San Antonio, TX | LEED Gold Certified
• University of Texas at Austin Liberal Arts & Student Activity Center – Austin, TX | LEED Gold Certified

In addition to their designs and projects for clients, Overland’s office in San Antonio is an adaptive reuse building and also a national COTE Award winner, echoing their conservation ethos. Overall, the building has a 73% reduction from national median energy use intensity for building type, 34% reduction in regulated potable water, 90% of the building is daylit, 48% certified Forest Stewardship Council wood. Additionally, the living alley’s garden contains organic vegetables and herbs, minimizing asphalt while promoting a healthy lifestyle. The project also integrates sophisticated systems that optimize the building’s performance such as shade control governed by the astronomical clock, automated lighting sensitive to occupancy and daylight levels, and 65 kW solar panels on the insulated roof that meet about 50% of the building’s energy needs. In 2018, the solar system generated 70.1 MWh of energy, which accounted for 35% of total energy used (201 MWh).

Sustainability Reporting

Since 2015, the firm has been producing annual sustainability reports to measure progress regarding their environmental impact. Overland calculates their emissions based on electricity, water, and paper usage; food, packaging, and other waste produced, and commuter and business travel mileage. Each measurement is broken down and converted into the equivalent number of tons of CO2. In 2018, Overland’s waste correlated to 8.4 tons of CO2 emissions representing a 23.1 ton reduction from 2017. This reduction can be attributed to small adjustments within their office operations:

• Installing a sparkling water dispenser instead of purchasing canned sparkling water
• Using bulk sweeteners and coffee creamers
• Having snacks such as chocolate in bulk jars instead of buying individually wrapped goods
• Purchasing bulk tea (saved 1.44 tons of CO2)
• Switching to biodegradable/compostable paper towels (saved 4 tons of CO2)

Not only do Overland’s employees contribute to sustainability through their designs and projects, but they also contribute through their actions in getting to and from work as well. In 2018, the firm’s carbon emissions for travel were reduced to 132 tons from 145 tons of CO2 in 2017. This was due to an increased number of employees walking or biking or taking public transit, which equaled 54,231 fewer miles being driven.

BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

From Overland’s perspective, conservation is more important than ever in Texas as we tackle development pressures and water shortages to guide resilient development for future generations. Overland proactively seeks out partnerships that help them push sustainable design strategies forward and connect with the right networks to make conservation-minded projects happen. Overland’s team are integrators in that they connect diverse stakeholder groups, organizations, thought leaders, and geographies together to build consensus, push the boundaries of sustainable design, and move projects forward. 

TEXAN-LED CONSERVATION

The firm was founded in the Lone Star State, and although Overland works on projects throughout the world, they choose to call Texas home. From this unique position, they can take the values and lessons of this state to reach others in remote locales. Conversely, they learn from their clients, consultants, and friends from other places, and bring the very best ideas back to influence their practice in Texas.  

Learn more about how sustainability and conservation are integral to Overland.

Definitions:

– LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

– The Living Building Challenge framework helps you to create spaces that reconnect occupants with nature.

– Living Community Challenge is a framework for master planning, design, and construction. It is a tool to create a symbiotic relationship between people and all aspects of the built environment.

– WELL is the leading tool for advancing health and well-being in buildings globally.

– SITES a sustainability-focused framework that ushers landscape architects, engineers and others toward practices that protect ecosystems and enhance the mosaic of benefits they continuously provide our communities, such as climate regulation, carbon storage and flood mitigation. 

– kWh or kilowatt-hours is the measure of electrical energy equivalent to the power consumption of 1,000 watts for 1 hour

– MW or Megawatts are used to measure the output of a power plant or the amount of electricity required by an entire city. One MW = 1,000 kilowatts = 1,000,000 watts.