Akron Zoo Announces LEED for Animal Exhibit

AKRON, Ohio — Highlighting the Akron Zoo’s commitment to conservation and sustainability, the Mike & Mary Stark Grizzly ridge exhibit has received LEED Silver certification.

The exhibit, design by Hasenstab Architects of Akron, Ohio, includes habitats for grizzly bears, otters, wolves, coyotes, eagles and other native birds. The project features a green roof on the bear exhibit, a bio-retention basin and a water recycling system. Achieving LEED certification for such a unique project came with some difficulties as LEED generally evaluates buildings that are inhabited by people rather than animals and many LEED guidelines are not applicable for animal structures.

“Essentially, there is no LEED baseline for certifying bear and otter buildings,” said Lukens. “Because of the buildings’ unique features, many of the LEED guidelines were not specifically created for these types of structures,” said Scott Lukens, AIA, LEED AP, project architect for Hasenstab Architects, in a statement.

LEED certification was not required for the project, but sustainability and conservation are the foundation of the organization’s mission.

“Sustainability is one of our conservations goals, and the annual cost savings related to energy efficiency further support the zoo’s goal of being good stewards of tax payer money, which is essentially verified with third-party certification,” said Doug Piekarz, vice president of planning and conservation at the Akron Zoo, in a statement.

Challenges and certifications aside, the benefits of incorporating sustainable features into Grizzly Ridge are innumerable, Lukens said.

“Reduced energy costs, lower costs for utilities such as water and sewer, maintenance of the local ecosystem, and a healthier atmosphere for animals — as well as employees and visitors — are among the many benefits the zoo has seen and will continue to see,” he said. “This whole process sends a message to the public that [the Akron Zoo] cares about the community, the environment and, of course, the animals that live there.”