FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Zachry facility first in San Antonio to earn nationally recognized green building certification

U.S. Green Building Council bestows LEED® Gold certification on Zachry Employment and Conference Center

(May 25, 2007) SAN ANTONIO

Zachry Construction Corporation's Employment and Conference Center has earned Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) program, becoming the first facility in San Antonio to be certified by the nationally recognized organization.

The USGBC grants four levels of LEED certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Zachry's Employment and Conference Center is only the fifth building in Texas to achieve Gold status.

Zachry began the Employment and Conference Center project in 2004 as the third phase of renovations to its Home Office complex on the south side of San Antonio, where the company has been headquartered since the 1940s. Zachry engaged an all-local team of Kell Muñoz Architects, Goetting & Associates, Pape-Dawson Engineers and Laffoon Associates to convert a 20,000-square-foot masonry warehouse that housed the company's IT, facilities management and equipment operations into a conference center with space for project staging and recruitment and hiring activities. In addition to being the facility's owner, Zachry served as construction manager and design consultant for the project, which wrapped up in 2006.

"The decision to pursue LEED certification on this renovation project was simple," said ZCC President David Zachry. "Environmental sensitivity is a key component of every decision we make, and the LEED process helped us identify those areas where the greatest impact could be made."

The LEED program encourages design and construction practices that reduce buildings' impact on the environment and on their occupants in five broad areas: sustainable site planning; safeguarding water and water efficiency; energy efficiency and renewable energy; conservation of materials and resources; and indoor environmental quality.

Because the Employment and Conference Center was constructed within the framework of an existing building, the project did not require installation of new infrastructure or disturbance of a virgin site. Zachry restored 27,000 square feet of impervious cover with vegetation and pervious crushed stone paths. Almost 90 percent - or 679 tons - of debris from demolition was salvaged or recycled and thus diverted from landfills.

The facility is about 27 percent more energy efficient than a typical office building, in part because of its insulation and mechanical systems. A combination of skylights, clerestory glass and low-emissivity glass windows allow sunlight to permeate the facility while minimizing glare and heat transfer. Daylight harvesting is to make the most of available light. Electrical lighting is controlled by sensors that detect the level of ambient light. When the sun provides enough brightness, the electrical lights automatically dim or turn off completely, thus conserving electricity. And, a 10-KW solar array composed of 60 photovoltaic panels provides 5.5 percent of the building's electricity.

Other green features include underfloor mechanical systems and ductwork, which allow for smaller, more efficient air handlers; a tank to collect rainwater to flush plumbing fixtures; a water reclamation system to collect water from washbasins, showers and drinking fountains to use for irrigating the xeriscape landscaping; and pervious concrete sidewalks.

The interior design process was guided by the desire to create an open workspace using natural, environmentally friendly finishes and salvaged, recycled or renewable materials.

"Green building is about creating a synergy among a facility, the people who occupy it and the larger environment in which the building resides," said Zachry Project Manager Brian Clark, who is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional by the U.S. Green Building Council.

"So we designed and built a space that not only considers the larger, global environment, but also provides our employees a healthy work environment that helps them connect with the external world," Clark said.

In addition to abundant natural light and exterior views, the facility features Marmoleum® and cork flooring, Dakota BurlT and fabric wall coverings and wheat board subsurfaces. Salvaged wood was used for stair treads and ceilings, and the terrazzo flooring was made from recycled glass and carpet fibers. Other recycled materials in the building include steel, carpet, insulation, glass, wall and roof panels, metal ceiling panels, sheetrock, metal studs and concrete. Almost 80 percent of the building's furnishings are GREENGUARDT-certified, meaning they are constructed from materials that emit few to no volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

"Pursuing higher levels of LEED certification carries a financial cost that some building owners may not be willing or able to bear," Zachry said. "But with advances in building system efficiency and the widespread availability of recycled or sustainable building materials, there's no reason why any owner shouldn't incorporate at least some green elements into a new facility. We're proud of our Employment and Conference Center and hope it sets a positive example in the San Antonio community and for our customers."

About Zachry Construction Corporation

Zachry Construction Corporation (ZCC) is a privately owned construction and industrial maintenance service company based in San Antonio, Texas. ZCC and its affiliates operate from coast to coast, with a concentration of projects in the southern United States. Over the past 83 years, ZCC and its affiliates have completed thousands of projects, including power generation plants, chemical refineries, retrofit air quality control systems, highways, bridges, dams, commercial buildings and more. ZCC works on both public- and private-sector projects across all major construction business sectors.