Arboretum and Research Visitors’ Center
Building—Professional Built; Outstanding Achievement Award for Best Greenhouse Gas Reduction
The visitors' center design roots the building firmly in its woodland context by blurring distinctions between the indoors and outdoors, and by incorporating the surrounding forest into the building's lifecycle analysis. Construction emphasized safe, closed material loops of biological nutrients, which break down to safely return to forest soil; and technical nutrients, which can be remanufactured into new objects. The mechanical connections and reconfigurable modules allow for building alterations. The project performs 51% better than the ASHRAE-compliant base case used to measure the greenhouse gas reduction.
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About the Entrants
Kira Gould, William McDonough + Partners, Charlottesville, VA
William McDonough + Partners: William McDonough, FAIA, founding partner; Kevin Burke, AIA, partner; Michelle Amt, AIA, director; Martha Bohm; and Alex Jack
The design of the Bernheim Arboretum Visitors Center roots the building in its woodland context by blurring distinctions between in- and outdoors, and by placing the building’s lifecycle within that of the forest. Construction emphasized safe, closed material loops of biological nutrients, which break down and safely return to forest soil, and technical nutrients, which are remanufactured into new objects. Mechanical connections and reconfigurable modules allow for building alterations with safe material use. Educational programs weave through the building and site telling a hands-on story. By engaging visitors at this personal level, the center challenges them to think about their place in the larger environmental and social context and inspires them to take action and protect the natural world.
William McDonough + Partners is a 40-person design firm that executes a diverse international array of projects from our studios in Charlottesville, Virginia; San Francisco; and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We are architects, planners, and leaders in sustainable design; all of our designs integrate environmentally-intelligent strategies. We practice a positive, principled design approach that draws inspiration from living systems and processes. At its heart, this unique approach celebrates the abundance of nature. William McDonough, the firm’s founding partner, has played a prime role in defining sustainable design for more than two decades. The practice was organized in 1994 and since then has created pioneering architecture and community designs that consider the long-term consequences of design. Our team adds unique value by integrating rigorous analysis and design synthesis. Our solutions to architecture, planning, and community design problems range across scales from the molecule to the region as we examine the economic, ecological, and social consequences of design. Our buildings and communities embody enduring standards of design quality and economic, ecological, and social responsibility.
William McDonough + Partners was honored to work with an amazing team of consultants on the Bernheim Arboretum Visitors Center, beginning with the client/owner themselves, whose vision has been an inspiration. The Arboretum leadership and staff had the vision and persistence to see the value in pursuing a LEED rating in a region where Certified buildings are making news and serving as catalysts. At the same time, they wanted their solution to go “beyond LEED” in a way that would be uniquely suited to the organization’s educational mission. Their commitment has made this a project that has continued to improve since its official completion—and will for years into the future.
The Bernheim Arboretum project team included:
- William McDonough + Partners, Design Architect
- Barnette Bagley Architects, Architect of Record
- McIlwain + Associates
- Gray Construction
- Prajna Design & Construction, Inc.
- Shrout Tate Wilson
- Buell, Fryer, McReynolds
- Greg Jackson, Topia Design