LIME HOLLOW EDUCATION CENTER – CORTLAND, NY
Lime Hollow Nature Center boasts 30,000 visitors a year and more than 430 acres of protected open space. The 5,000 SF net-zero education building was designed to maximize human interaction with nature with a minimal impact on Lime Hollow’s unique ecosystems. The Nature Center offers over 12 miles of trails, public nature programs, and adventure day camps for youth.
The building was created with adaptable modular construction to meet the needs of individual programs and seasonal environment variations and includes outdoor/indoor classrooms with gardening space to cultivate and study native plant species. The design employs a broad range of sustainable technologies that serve as educational tools, including a 19kW solar array, passive air-conditioning, and rainwater catchment.
Taitem provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing and solar photovoltaic design, along with an energy analysis and HVAC selection study. Taitem also guided the decision-making process in order for the building to achieve net-zero energy use.
LOCATION Cortland, NY
YEAR 2013
SQUARE FOOTAGE 5,000SF
PROJECT COST $650,000