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Designed by San Antonio-based Overland Partners Architects and Dallas-based CamargoCopeland Architects, the Bridge Homeless Assistance Center in Dallas, US, has won a LEED Silver certification - marking it as the largest homeless shelter to gain LEED ranking.

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Spread on a 3.41 acre site, the facility with a capacity of 600-person, includes a one-story welcome building, three-story services building, dining hall, storage facility, and open-air pavilion.

The facility features five buildings that incorporate multiple sustainable amenities, including natural day lighting with 90% of regularly occupied spaces containing outdoor views; a grey water recycling system that conserves 1.5 million gallons annually; a temporary shelter built within a reclaimed warehouse; a green-roofed dining room; and the inclusion of native, low-irrigation plants in the landscape.

All materials used for the construction of the building were chosen based on their environmental impact—100% low VOC, 20% local materials, and 40% contained recycled components. A waste management program allowed for 70% of construction waste to be recycled.

The design was awarded the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2009 National Housing Award, the AIA/Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Award, a 2009 National Excellence in Design Award from Environmental Design + Construction magazine and the 2009 Chicago Athenaeum’s American Architecture Award.