Two sustainable design students win Green Fund Awards for their innovative proposals

The Green Fund, formerly Green Fee, is a competitive grant program funded by UT Austin tuition fees to support sustainability-related projects and initiatives proposed by university students, faculty or staff. Parastou Naghibi Rad and Aritro De each received $5,000 awards to support their projects. We conducted a Q&A with De and Rad to learn more about their projects.  

Towards a Greener Sutton Hall: Energy Analysis and Solar Energy Potential to Achieve Energy Efficiency 

Historic campus buildings like Sutton Hall face challenges of high energy consumption and carbon emissions due to outdated systems and envelopes. Reconstruction can be impractical due to their heritage value, but retrofitting offers a sustainable solution. Parastou Naghibi Rad's project seeks to bridge energy efficiency with financial feasibility, evaluating potential envelope upgrades and the integration of on-site solar (PV) systems which is aligned with Austin Energy’s electricity operation to make the city carbon free by 2035. The objectives of the project are:  

Expected outcomes of the research project are providing an energy retrofit plan for Sutton Hall combining architectural preservation with sustainability. Rad says her project has the potential to serve as a model framework for improving other historic campus buildings. 

How did you come up with the idea for your project? What’s at the heart of it? 

My office is located in Sutton Hall, where I spend most of my days working and studying. This constant presence has fostered a deep sense of connection to the building and its character. Drawing on that attachment, along with the knowledge I’ve gained from courses in data-driven design and sustainability, I began to think about how I could bridge historic preservation and sustainable innovation. This reflection inspired the idea of exploring ways to enhance the building’s energy efficiency while respecting its architectural heritage. Through this project, I hope to contribute meaningfully to extending the life and performance of one of the most valuable historic buildings on campus. 

What reflections do you have working on this project or working with the Green Fund?  

This project has provided a valuable opportunity to connect my academic research and outcome in sustainable design with a tangible, real-world application on the UT Austin campus. Conducting the energy analysis for Sutton Hall has enriched my understanding of the intricate relationship between historic preservation and environmental performance, while also reinforcing my dedication to integrating data-driven methods into sustainable architectural practice. The Green Fund award has been instrumental in supporting this work, enabling the use of advanced energy modeling and the exploration of renewable energy strategies for a building of both personal and academic importance to me. Beyond its technical outcomes, the project fosters a culture of environmental responsibility and serves as a model for future sustainability-driven research across campus. I am sincerely thankful for the opportunity to support the Green Fund’s mission in advancing UT’s long-term sustainability goals and to play a small part in moving toward a carbon-free future. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Green Fund’s mission of advancing UT’s long-term sustainability goals through research, innovation, and community impact and playing a small part in moving toward a carbon-free future.  

AI-Drive LEED Compliance Automation: A Campus Living Lab Study 

Aritro De’s project explores how artificial intelligence can transform the way green building certifications are managed. Using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, the proposed AI-driven tool will automate and optimize the LEED documentation process by identifying potential errors, verifying compliance and suggesting recommendations for improved certification outcomes. 

De says the tool functions like a chatbot. Consultants can upload sustainability reports, drawings, and supporting documentation, and the AI system will analyze the inputs for inconsistencies, refine reports, and suggest strategies to achieve higher LEED points. 

By applying this research to UT Austin’s campus as a “living lab,” the project will test the potential for AI to streamline compliance verification, reduce consultant workload and strengthen the university’s sustainability leadership. 

How did you come up with the idea for your project?  

The idea came from observing how manual and error-prone the LEED documentation process can be, especially during the pre-compliance and verification stages. Small mistakes or formatting issues often lead to costly delays or point deductions. 

What’s at the heart of your project? 

At the core, this project aims to reduce these inefficiencies through AI-driven automation. While tools like GreenBadger help manage documentation, they don’t leverage the full analytical capability of modern AI models. Inspired by design-phase tools such as Cove Tool and my prior experience with GRIHA (India’s greenrating system), I wanted to address the gap at the documentation and verification stage — the part that consumes the most human time and effort. 

What other reflections do you have on the overall project?  

This project brings together my interests in architecture, sustainability and AI to address a very real bottleneck in green building certification. The Green Fund award allows me to prototype a model that could benefit not only UT Austin but also other institutions navigating complex sustainability standards. 

More broadly, this work aligns with UT’s goal of becoming a leader in sustainable campus innovation. It sets a foundation for future research into AI applications for WELL, BREEAM, or ESG frameworks — creating pathways for scalable compliance automation and more transparent sustainability reporting. 

The Green Fund grant program is open for applications until Feb. 11, 2026. You can access the applications here.