Getting a LEED rating is always a big deal in this day and age, especially since so many buildings are still inefficient in use of energy efficiency.
The
Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts' building--a former Coast Guard Station--is not one of those inefficient structures. In fact, it was just awarded the first LEED Platinum rating in Northern Michigan.
The building was certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum by the United States Green Building Council with the highest green certificate possible. It's just the 12th building in the state to achieve this level of excellence.
"It isn’t just an arbitrary number," Oliver Art Center executive director Steve Brown says. "To get the platinum rating, the building had to be constructed and must be maintained to extremely high standards. We can use only non-toxic cleaning products."
Some of the buildings' notable LEED-approved features include the fact that 95-percent of existing walls, floors and roof are reused from the old building; the building is super-insulated and climate-controlled using geothermal cooling and energy recovery ventilation systems; electronic room monitoring for heating/cooling and motion-sensitive lights are used; daylight and windows were provided in all rooms; high efficiency lighting was installed everywhere, including the exhibition spaces; regionally sourced doors, windows, steel, concrete, insulation, as well as recycled materials like timber were extensively used; low flow water fixtures were installed; the property has storm water management and a permeable parking lot.
The Oliver Art Center exhibitions are open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts
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