Animal Hospital

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — An animal hospital at the Palm Beach Zoo was recently awarded LEED Gold certification.

 

The $4.8 million, 10,000-square-foot animal care complex features a rooftop 80-panel solar array. A reflective roof was installed on portions of the building not covered by the panels.

 

Water usage is expected to be 50 percent less than a typical building through the use of drought-tolerant landscaping and an efficient irrigation system. Other green landscaping practices include the restoration of native pants, and the building was planned to maintain open space on 20 percent of the site.

 

Because the facility is used for preventative care and surgeries, the facility uses 100 percent outside air for a high-efficiency HVAC system to prevent the spread of infection.

 

Stiles Construction took several steps to ensure indoor air quality during construction. All materials were covered with visqueen to avoid dust collection, and each evening, the crew covered all open-ended ductwork to prevent dust from accumulating and blowing through the building after the HVAC system was installed.

 

Drywall finishers used sanders with vacuum dust collectors and strict rules for wiping shoes and insect control were introduced.

 

In addition to the indoor air quality measures, an estimated 75 percent of construction waste was recycled and approximately 20 percent of building materials was purchased locally.

 

Environmentally friendly materials were also used during construction, including bamboo flooring and ceiling materials, low-emitting carpets, compost wood products, and finishes with low VOC content.