Journal of Indoor Environmental Quality

Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Center Earns a Rare 11 of 10 Points for Optimized Energy Performance

Building design utilizes high-tech computational fluid dynamics analysis of low-tech passive solar Trombe walls

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Jan. 12, 2009 – Lord, Aeck & Sargent announced today that in awarding LEED®1 (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification to the Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Center in the category of new construction, the U.S. Green Building Council gave the project the maximum 10 points in the category of optimized energy performance, plus an additional point for exceeding the maximum (60 percent) energy savings tracked for this credit.

The project tracked a 75 percent improvement in energy performance over a code-compliant base building.

RBc: We featured this project prior to it receiving this achievement. A great application of design principles resulting in outstanding performance.

Read more about this outstanding project.

Governor General’s Medals in Architecture Awards for Radiant Conditioned Buildings

The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre (top photo) in Osoyoos by Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects with lead design architect Bruce Haden, MRAIC and the Gleneagles Community Centre (West Vancouver) by Patkau Architects with lead design architects John Patkau, FRAIC and Patricia Patkau, FRAIC won Governor General’s Medals in Architecture. Both highly sustainable projects are conditioned with radiant systems.

Illustration of Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre courtesy of the Centre

Photo’s of Gleneagles Community Centre courtesy of Terri Meyer Boake B.E.S. B.Arch. M.Arch., Associate Professor School of Architecture University of Waterloo.

RBc: What I love about these buildings is how mother nature served as the chief designer in creating great spaces. Congratulations to the design and construction teams.

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