AMD Opens New Eco-Friendly Campus

Posted by Crystal Olenbush on Monday, June 23rd, 2008 at 8:13pm.


Back in 2005, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. drew some negative attention when it announced that it would be opening a new campus over the Edwards Aquifer.  At the time, environmental organizations were quite upset at the thought of creating the $270 million campus, primarily because of the environmental sensitivity of the area.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company managed to silence nay-sayers, however, by implementing a few initiatives.  First, the company used environmentally-friendly materials in order to build the campus.  In addition, they built the facility utilizing what is known as a sustainable design.  The company has also developed plans to limit its impact on the quality of water and is working toward receiving Gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program through the United States Green Building Council.

"Three years ago, we announced our plan to build a new campus closer to our employee base and made a promise to set a standard for responsible development," said Hector Ruiz, chairman and CEO of AMD, in an interview with the Austin Business Journal. "We hope others will recognize the Lone Star campus not only as an example of our commitment to sustainable development but as a model for how to grow responsibly by partnering with communities."

In addition to its building initiatives, the company is donating $1.5 million to a variety of conservation organizations.  These include the Hill Country Conservancy, the Westcave Preserve and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 

Construction of the 870,00 square foot facility began in 2006.  Sitting on 58 acres of land, the campus includes four buildings that are each four stories high.  It also includes the Lone Star Building, which features a number of amenities for employees.  These include a cafeteria, a fitness center, a gamine center, and a gourmet coffee bar.

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