LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS – June 28, 2017: With the assistance of Entegrity, the Logoly State Park Visitor Center was recently awarded Gold level of certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building program.
Logoly State Park Visitor Center is a 7,500 square foot, single story, public recreation space featuring exhibits and an outdoor amphitheater. The project is a $2.5 million facility located near McNeil, Arkansas. The Visitor Center houses exhibits interpreting the park’s old-growth forest which was purchased by the Nature Conservancy in the 1970’s.
The design strives to combine sensible planning with appropriate architecture and minimum site disturbance to create a new upgraded visitor center with state of the art exhibit equipment as well as a place for members of the public to enjoy the natural beauty of the park. Logoly State Park Visitor Center features exhibit spaces, offices for park employees, and classrooms.
LEED is a voluntary third-party verified green building rating system that addresses the site, water energy, materials, and indoor environmental quality of the facility. The LEED certification of Logoly State Park Visitor Center was based on building achievements that have a positive impact on the facility itself and the broader community. Some of these achievements include:
- To incentivize alternate forms of transportation, preferred parking spaces preferred drop-off location for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles as well as bicycle storage is provided to help minimize pollution associated with traditional automobile use.
- A more than 43% reduction of potable water over a baseline modeled comparison due to efficient faucet, toilet, and urinal fixtures. The project uses captured rainwater to flush the toilets.
- In order to further reduce water use, there is no permanent irrigation installed on site.
- A 36% energy efficiency improvement over a baseline modeled comparison to a similar building constructed to the energy efficiency standard of ASHRAE 90.1-2007 with the help of a 16.4 kilowatt photovoltaic solar system.
- To provide for continued energy and operational efficiency, all of the energy systems and the building envelope underwent fundamental and enhanced commissioning. This process prevents the excessive use of energy and reduces Greenhouse gas emissions.
- Of the materials used in construction: over 21% contained recycled content and over 20% were both extracted and manufactured from within 500 miles of the project site.
- Over 78% of the total construction waste generated was diverted away from landfills.
- 100% of the interior paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, and flooring systems contained minimal or no Volatile Organic Content (VOC).
- All occupants can adjust their own lighting and thermal comfort. Occupants in all multi-occupant spaces can adjust both as well.
“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most-important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive resources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The work of innovative building projects such as the Logoly State Park Visitor Center is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”
Logoly State Park Visitor Center was designed by Taylor Kempkes Architects and constructed by Ideal Construction Company. Entegrity provided LEED Consulting, Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning, and Energy Modeling services for the project.
