The Virginia Point Residence was designed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) platinum standards - a national rating scale developed by the United States Green Building Council to encourage more sustainable buildings. This residence is Houston’s first LEED® Platinum home and is the 2010 recipient of the Eco-structure Evergreen Award from Eco-structure Magazine in the Greenhouse category.
Gessner Engineering provided geotechnical and structural engineering, and construction materials testing services for the residence in Houston, Texas with a footprint of approximately 6,250 square feet. The project was designed to be a self-sustaining residence including elements such as geothermal wells, water collection systems and solar power. Attention to detail was key in this residence due to the exposed connections and exposed structure. The design was modeled in REVIT Structure and AutoCAD, and designed using Risa 3D and Risa Floor analysis software. Highlighted elements included exposed galvanized steel trusses supporting a solar panel roof, cantilevered floors and stair landings, and exposed galvanized steel stairways.
