Austin City Hall attained gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, the second-highest rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The building incorporates renewable materials and uses treated groundwater from below the building rather than drinking water. It also employs energy efficiency techniques such as tapping into the city's chilled water storage tanks for cooling. To reduce power consumption, the building extensively uses daylighting, or designs that maximize outdoor light.
Photo by Martin LaMonica/CNET News.com
