Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center achieves LEED Honors

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center has recently been awarded a LEED Gold Certification. This makes the museum/park the first to do so in Pennsylvania, and only the fourth in the country to achieve such a level of LEED certification.

Highlights of the Museum and Visitor Center's environmental responsibility include:

• Geothermal heating and cooling system: 207 wells, average depth of 550 feet use the earth's constant 55-degree temperature to heat and cool the facility
• Wetlands restoration: Nearly two acres of wetlands were restored during Museum and Visitor Center construction
• Native plants: Native, drought resistant plants that were used throughout the facility's campus require no irrigation
• Timber reuse: Existing timber was reused in the building's construction
• Recycling: A facility-wide recycling program was adopted
• Construction waste reduction: Metal, cardboard and wood was separated during construction to minimize waste
• Storm water run off minimization: Storm water run off was reduced through the use of underground storage tanks
• Plumbing: Low flow toilets and sinks were installed
• Reduced off-gasses: Off-gassing from carpets, glues, vinyl and paints was reduced
• Low-emission vehicles and carpooling: Parking spaces will be labeled for preferred use by hybrid vehicles and by carpoolers
• Green power: Green power credits will be purchased
• Regional materials: Twenty-five percent of the building materials manufactured locally, and 50 percent were harvested locally

For an article containing more information on the project and certification, CLICK HERE

Posted in: green,Green Source