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Green Building
Features | Contractors
WKYC | Ohio News Network
One of the greenest buildings in the state, this former private residence in Sand Run Metro Park now houses the park district's ranger and natural resource management departments. The 2,200-square-foot home, acquired as a life estate in 2003, was expanded by 1,700 square feet and it is centrally located in the county, essentially equidistant from all the parks.
This fall, the structure could be named the first "Platinum" LEED-certified building in Ohio. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) and is the benchmark for green buildings.
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| Rain barrels, a rain garden, green roof and pervious pavement allow storm water to slowly enter the underground water table, preventing runoff, flooding and erosion. |
It includes geothermal heating, waterless toilets, solar panels, a green roof, lumber from downed trees in the Metro Parks, and recycled carpet, furniture and cabinetry. Outside, the features include porous pavement, a rain garden, rain barrels and native landscaping. Some of the original building materials were "recycled" by Habitat for Humanity.
The green features made up about 18 percent of the project's total cost, which also included site work, parking, walkways, drainage, utilities and landscaping.
Lisa King, landscape architect and the project planner, said the park district's goal was to create a highly efficient building. "Green design is good design," King remarked. "It is what we should be doing."
While the building protects natural resources, King said she hopes it will also inspire others to go green. "There are many ways to help the environment," she said. "It only takes a little green sense and some concern for the Earth."
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