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Truckee architecture firm designs LEED Platinum national park visitor center

Photo courtesy Lynn Howlett Photography
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The Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center at Lassen Volcanic National Park, recently received LEED Platinum Certification, making it one of the first National Park buildings to receive such recognitionTRUCKEE andamp;#8212; The Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, located at the south entrance of Lassen Volcanic National Park, was designed by the local firm of Ward-Young Architecture andamp; Planning. The Visitor Center recently received LEED Platinum Certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). According to the USGBCandamp;#8217;s website, Lassenandamp;#8217;s Visitor Center is the second National Park Service building to achieve LEED Platinum Certification, and a distinction awarded to fewer than 200 buildings in the United States.LEED is an internationally- recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reductions, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.Developed by the USGBC, LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. The USGBC is a nonprofit organization working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation. The Visitor Centerandamp;#8217;s design provides for effective shading strategies and maximizes opportunities for day lighting and the computer-controlled daylight harvesting system automatically dims the lights when it senses enough natural light. Heating is provided through an in-floor radiant system and cooling through natural ventilation and a ground-source heat exchange piping system. Materials were selected in consideration of recycled content, longterm sustainability and in support of healthy building criteria. Seeds of native plants in the construction site area were harvested and cultivated in the surrounding landscape. Ward-Young worked closely with the builder, Slayden Construction, of Stayton, Ore. and the National Park Service, which used a design-build project delivery approach. Ward-Young has other projects under way for which LEED Certification is being pursued. The recently completed U.S. Forest Serviceandamp;#8217;s Truckee Ranger District Office, a 12,000 square foot administrative and visitor information building, has been designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification. Ward-Young Architecture and Planning has offices in Truckee and Lafayette, Calif. Visit http://www.wyarch.com.andamp;#8212; Submitted to the Sun


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