The soon-to-debut MetroNational Tree House is poised to become Houston’s greenest commercial building, thanks to the innovative and forward thinking design from Studio RED Architects. The Tree House is MetroNational’s development and commercial office. The term is used to describe a place of creativity and entertainment for internal use as well as outreach to potential tenants and investors. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.
The 15,000 sf MetroNational Tree House has completed the design submittal phase and is tracking a solid LEED Platinum certification with a total of 90 points. Pending final certification with the construction submittal, the project would hold the highest score ever tallied for a LEED-certified building in the Houston area, and be tied for the highest number of points of any LEED building in the State of Texas.
Overseen by Studio RED Principal Micah Simecek, the Studio RED team employed several sustainable design strategies including solar panels and energy efficient lighting which reduce the buildings energy costs to nearly 50% of that of a baseline office building. As a result of the water efficiency features, which work to reduce irrigation requirements by almost 70%, the project was also awarded an innovative technology credit by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The building’s vegetated roof mitigates the “heat island” effect created by traditional roofs and site paving.
Studio RED is partnered on the MetroNational Tree House with brand innovation company Acumen Design, with whom they have collaborated with on other projects in the past. The project is scheduled to be complete later this summer.
About Studio RED Architects
Micah Simecek is a Principal at Studio RED, where he has established himself as a leading architect in the Houston architecture industry, completing over one million square feet of commercial and residential projects over his ten year career, with a cumulative value of over $250 million. Simecek’s design and management skills set him apart in his field and his practical approach to challenges on medium and large-scale projects yields valuable solutions for institutional, corporate and higher education clients.
Studio RED Architects is a Houston-based architectural firm with a reputation for design excellence in entertainment, commercial, and worship facilities. Project examples include performing arts centers such as the Texas Southmost College Music Education Building, worship centers such as Lakewood Church, renovation projects such as Brennan’s Restaurant, sustainable projects such as City of Houston Permitting Center (LEED Gold) and Amazing Place (LEED Silver), and educational projects like University of Houston Clear Lake – Pearland Campus.
