On Dec. 9,
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens opens its new 12,000-square-foot
Tropical Forest Conservatory. Designed by
IKM, Inc. and built by
Turner Construction Company, the $10 million facility is an international model for green conservatory construction and operation. Featuring cascading waterfalls and an overhead catwalk, the 60-foot high space debuts with a "forests of Thailand" theme.
The facility incorporates two major eco-technologies. It is the first conservatory in the world to use a solid oxide fuel cell--an energy-efficient, highly-reliable fuel source that produces no harmful waste. Buried 15 feet below Phipps’ greenhouses, 1,800 square feet of earth tubes--manufactured by Pittsburgh-based
Siemens Power Generation--create a sustainable, non-electric passive ventilation and cooling system. Unlike traditional conservatories, the facility employs an open roof design that allows hot air to exit naturally.
In 2005, Phipps’ visitor center received the country’s first LEED certification rating for a fine arts building. “We thought, why should we stop there? This is important for our entire operations,” says Phipps’ executive director Richard Piacentini.
After completing phase two of its capital campaign, Phipps now employs comprehensive energy efficiency, waste reduction and recycling strategies. “We looked at other conservatories and realized not a lot has changed in 160 years,” says Piacentini. “We wanted to do better and adopted a total green approach.”
Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Richard Piacentini