Firefighters are always looked to as leaders in the community. These are men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our homes, businesses and families.
So it should come as no surprise that the
Grand Traverse Emergency Services Authority is one of the first in the area to have a building certified with LEED Gold status.
LEED, also known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certifications are given out by the U.S. Green Building Council for structures that are built and operated in environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places.
The building that earned the certification is the new Grand Traverse metro Fire Station No. 12, which was designed by Jack Knol of Advantage Design with Mark Humitz of Cornwell Architects serving as the LEED consultant for the project.
The fire station, located at 1785 East Silver Lake Road North in Traverse City, has two bays and is over 10,000 square feet in size. There is room to house eight people as well as boasting a training/community room and office space.
According to Knol, the design called for a highly-insulated, energy-efficient building that uses more than 35-percent less energy than a conventional building. This was achieved through the use of insulated concrete forms and high-efficiency lighting. In addition, water usage at the station will be less than normal buildings as well, since the irrigation for the landscaping will come entirely from rainwater runoff from the roof and collected in a 4,000 gallon storage tank. There are also low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout the building.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Jack Knol, Advantage Design
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