The new Radioshack riverfront campus is a state-of-the-art sustainable facility that accommodates the needs of the company and the community. By Trish Martineck

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RadioShack executives decided to investigate alternatives to their two existing high-rise buildings in 2001. Their goal was to develop a new corporate headquarters that would be responsive to their business needs, the needs of employees, and especially the needs of the community. The result - the new RadioShack Riverfront Campus.

The Riverfront Campus, hailed as a one-of-a-kind development, gives downtown Fort Worth, Texas, a new and distinctive downtown landmark. The new $200 million facility, opened in March 2005, accommodates approximately 2,400 employees and features 600,000 square feet of state-of-the-art office space and 300,000 square feet of support and employee amenity space.

"The new RadioShack Riverfront Campus is a significant milestone for our company as well as the city of Fort Worth," said Leonard Roberts, chairman and chief executive officer of RadioShack. "It enables us to maintain our historic roots in Fort Worth and allows us to remain an important economic engine in the community."

"However, we've said all along if this were just about constructing a new building, we would be missing the point," he continued. "Instead, our new home gives us state-of-the-art technology in an environment that facilitates and encourages collaboration, teamwork, efficiency, innovation and sustainability. These are things that are essential to promoting the kind of service-oriented culture that is the lifeblood of our company's growth strategy and future success."

Like many of today's corporations, RadioShack preferred a more horizontal, campus-style headquarters to better accommodate its business needs. RadioShack's commitment to the city was strong and executives resolved to find a solution that would allow the company to maintain its longstanding commitment to downtown Fort Worth -- even though such a decision meant limited real estate options upon which to achieve its vision.

Through working with the City of Fort Worth and numerous other government organizations, the RadioShack team identified 38 contiguous acres of blighted development that overlooked the convergence of the West Fork and the Clear Fork of the Trinity River. This land allows RadioShack to remain in the downtown area as well as be a catalyst for more than just the headquarters project itself. It is also a driving force for the Trinity Uptown renewal plan, an ambitious master planned development expected to spawn new economic growth on the city's north side.

"The final design presents two unique facades -- one traditional and the other more progressive," said Dan Jeakins, AIA, principal-in-charge, HKS, Inc. "The urban side represents the traditional character of Downtown Fort Worth with the liberal use of red brick, natural Texas limestone, and a water feature running the length of a public plaza for all citizens to enjoy. The other side faces the Trinity River with modern walls of glass, walk-out balconies at each floor, and a wide greenbelt featuring native grasses and plants that link the buildings to the river's edge."

Part of the success of this unique project is its aggressive incorporation of sustainable and environmentally-responsible design strategies. As a result of a highly integrated design and construction process, the new riverfront campus is positioned to soon become the largest project in the state of Texas to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System certification.

The headquarters is sited to conserve the existing natural area and complement the nearby water refuge. Its locale offers numerous transportation options for employees including nearby mass transit outlets, bicycle storage and changing rooms, and covered parking.

The building's indoor environmental quality is designed to provide a healthy environment for employees and visitors alike with its carbon dioxide monitoring system, ventilation effectiveness, and individualized thermal controls. Low-emitting paints, carpets, and woods are used throughout the facility to decrease exposure to toxins.

"The project's building materials were selected based on proximity to the site and percentage of recycled content as well as indigenous properties -- minimizing construction costs while saving the earth's natural environment," said Kirk Teske, principal project manager, HKS, Inc. "In addition, more than 80% of the building's waste, generated from demolition and construction, was recycled or diverted from the landfill."

"The new facility hosts cost-effective, state-of-the-art heating, ventilation, and cooling systems as well as under-floor air distribution which provides increased air circulation," continued Teske. "Outside, native and adaptive landscaping is installed to significantly reduce the usage and cost of water to maintain the building’s exterior greenery. Following the building’s opening, ongoing accountability of building energy and water consumption will be measured and verified to ensure the systems are operating as intended."

In addition to HKS providing architectural and interior design, The Staubach Co. is providing project management services and The Beck Group is providing construction services. Additional team members include Gideon Toal, The SWA Group, Walter P. Moore & Associates, Carter & Burgess Inc. TechKnowledge Consulting Corporation, and James Johnson and Associates.

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This article has been reprinted courtesy of Environmental Design + Construction magazine. It was first published in the November/December issue of that publication.