County Hopes to Strike Gold with its First Green Building

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — The new $16.6 million county education center in Gwinnett County does more than just rest on its 233-acre site; it lives on it.

Designed by Atlanta-based Lord, Aeck & Sargent, the 59,000-square-foot Gwinnett Environmental Heritage Center is the county’s first green building, and features several sustainable elements, including a water recycling program and a living, green roof that allow the center to “give back” to the environment.

When county officials decided to build the new center, they wanted to create a working model of sustainable design that would not only educate the community about the principles of ecological conservation, but also abide by them.

“We wanted features that would illustrate to the development community that you can have a beautiful building with ecologically sound options that — although they may cost more initially — will save money in the long term”, says Steve Cannon, executive director of the center.

A collaborative effort developed by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, the Gwinnett County Public School System, the University of Georgia and the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation, the center was completed in August 2006 and opened to the public in October. It aims to educate community members about the importance of water conservation through programs and exhibits designed for both K-12 and adult audiences.

Project architects took a sustainable approach from the beginning of the design process, starting with siting. They wanted a location that would require minimal grading, maintain most of the existing tree canopy for shading, and allow for a low-impact design that would take its form from the site. The design team, in conjunction with the project owner and a landscape architect, settled on a 233-acre site with a dry ravine, which would figure prominently in the building’s design.

The Gwinnett Environmental Heritage Center has one of the largest green roofs in the southeast United States.

“The building embodies the principles of water conservation and education not just through its programs, but through its very design”, says John Starr, AIA, project principal with Lord, Aeck & Sargent.

The building’s sustainable design follows a two-pronged strategy: water conservation and energy conservation. These conservation strategies are projected to reduce the building’s potable water use by 75 percent and energy use by 35 percent, putting the center in the running for LEED gold-level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The center’s main strategy for water and energy conservation is the ravine. Converted into a cascading water feature, the ravine draws non-potable water from the county’s wastewater treatment facility and uses it in the building’s air conditioning system. The non-potable water is also utilized for irrigation and for flushing toilets.

The second conservation strategy is the building’s green roof. At 40,000 square feet, it is one of the largest green roofs in the southeast United States. Consisting of a 4-inch thick layer of soil, a layer of vegetation and a membrane roof assembly, the roof acts as a storm water capture system. Storm water runoff is channeled through the roof system instead of directly into a sewer, sustaining the roof and cleaning the water. The roof “gives back” to the environment by aiding in the production of oxygen.

The roof also helps reduce energy costs by insulating the building from high surface temperatures and reducing air conditioning needs.

Other water-saving strategies include automatically controlled faucets in all the building’s bathrooms, waterless urinals and a porous paving on all walkways and parking lots that allows water to seep into the ground instead of running off into storm drains.

Daylight harvesting also helps to cut down on energy costs. Sensors measure accumulated daylight and help maintain an even lighting level in the building; as natural light increases, artificial light decreases.

The two-story center is divided into two wings that are joined by a bridge spanning the ravine. Exposed southern yellow pine trusses support the roof, which floats above a continuous band of windows. Eight-foot-deep exterior overhangs on the north and south sides provide high window shading, and clerestory windows allow for natural lighting. Release louvers allow fresh air to circulate through the building’s mechanical system, and salvaged granite from the nearby town of Elberton serves as cladding for the building.

Inside the center, the main floor includes a theater, a hands-on science exhibit room, a library, a teaching laboratory, a lecture hall for community use, a multi-media conference room, a research area, administrative office space, a dining area and a gift shop. The building’s lower level includes three classrooms, additional office space and shell space for future expansion.

Community members are encouraged to make use of the center and view the permanent and rotating exhibits and displays. The facility’s theater runs a film specifically designed for the center that explains how water is formed and how it can be managed.

In addition to being an educational resource, the center also provides the community with an exterior space for recreational and group activities. The remaining acreage includes a creek, constructed wetlands, a forest amphitheater, council rings for small groups, two covered pavilions and 10 miles of trails for hiking, biking and jogging.