Moorhead complex in Pennsylvania receives LEED Platinum certification
The Moorhead Environmental Complex, situated within the Stroud Water Research Center in Pennsylvania, US, has received the LEED Platinum certification for its contribution for a healthier environment for residents, workers, and the larger community
The Moorhead Environmental Complex combines some of the most innovative approaches to ‘getting the water right.' It is created as a guiding principle in pursuit of a new green building for environmental education and public outreach that would model sustainable practices for managing water.
The Moorhead Environmental Complex houses the Stroud Water Research Center’s departments of education, watershed restoration, development, communications and marketing, facilities, and administration. It also serves as a teaching tool, providing opportunities for educators to discuss various features such as wetland treatment of wastewater, rainwater capture, geothermal heating and cooling, photovoltaic panels, and landscaping that promotes infiltration.
The design of the Moorhead Environmental Complex is based on a number of green design and construction features like storm water management using natural landscaping with porous surfaces, a green roof, a rooftop rainwater capture system feeding water-efficient toilets, rain gardens with native vegetation, sustainable water use and treatment via water-efficient fixtures, a wetland wastewater treatment system, and several composting toilets. The rainwater capture system also provide a water source for the Center’s chemistry labs. It will be assessed for use as a source of potable water.
The building receives energy via a geothermal system, radiant heating, natural ventilation, solar power, high-efficiency windows, sunshades, soy-based spray-foam insulation, and recycled slag mineral wool interior insulation.
Construction of the building has used recycled and locally sourced materials, while indoor environmental quality was achieved via low-emitting materials, efficient and task-specific lighting, and maximum use of natural ventilation and light.
Apart from that the Moorhead Environmental Complex also features educational and interpretive signage that appears on or near the building and landscaping solutions.
The design and engineering team included M2 Architecture, Meliora Environmental Design, Andropogon Associates, Bruce E. Brooks & Associates, Ann Rothmann Structural Engineering, LLC, Biohabitats, and David Nelson & Associates, LLC. Nason Construction, Inc. was the general contractor, and Consilience, LLC was the owner’s representative.
