Philadelphia Zoo Breaks Ground on First LEED Rated Building
The Philadelphia Zoo recently broke ground on the brand new Hamilton Family Children’s Zoo and Education Center. The Zoo website describes the center as a “joyful, engaging experience for children and families while promoting a lifetime of conservation action through hands-on learning activities.”
The Zoo plans to construct the new center according to LEED guidelines, making it the first zoo structure to include a green roof, cisterns to recycle wastewater and geothermal heating.
The center, which is scheduled to open April 13, 2013 is estimated to cost $30 million and will cover 2.5 acres of land. To date, $18 million has been raised.
According to uwishunu.com, the center will occupy both indoor and outdoor space, and will include the following indoor and outdoor exhibits:
Indoor features include:
- Exhibits featuring fish, budgies, butterflies and frogs;
- A hatchery that allows children to observe newborn chicks; and
- Action stations focused on environmental issues such as water usage, energy consumption, and recycling.
Outdoor features include:
- An 8-stall stables building to house horses, donkeys and other livestock;
- Overhead trails and bridge systems for monkeys and lemurs;
- Animal contact yards with rare breeds of goats, sheep and chicken; children can help with animal grooming, feeding and more;
- Parallel climbing ramps and towers for goats and children alike; and
- A toddler play area equipped with balance beams and spheres.
