Project Detail
The Sweetwater State Creek Visitor and Interpretive Center
Lithia Springs, Ga.
Size: 8,743 SF
Date of completion: 2006
CxGBS Services:
Commissioning, Energy Modeling, Construction Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management Plan
Project Overview:
During the 1960s, local visionaries living in and around Douglas County, Ga., recognized the need to protect the “Factory Shoals” area of Sweetwater Creek, a peaceful tract of land located just minutes from downtown Atlanta. The site contained the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, destroyed by Sherman’s troops during the Civil War.
Sweetwater Creek State Park was created in 1972, but lacked a central facility that would interpret the historical significance and value of the property. A Visitor and Interpretive Center, built though the efforts of community and neighborhood volunteers, serves as a model of environmentally friendly design, construction and operation. It received the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) platinum certification in the southeast.
Features:
- A composting toilet system that eliminates the need for a large, onsite wastewater system
- A high-efficiency heat pump system that provides an optimum indoor environment, minimizing heating and cooling operating costs
- Light-colored surfaces and a vegetated roof minimize the heat island effect
- Native and adaptive landscaping that eliminates the need for an irrigation system
Team:
- Owner: Georgia Department of Natural Resources
- Contractor: Mooney Construction
- Architect: Gerding Architects
- Commissioning: Commissioning and Green Building Solutions, Inc. (CxGBS)
Contact:
- Commissioning and Green Building Solutions, Inc. (CxGBS)—Phone 770-831-6760