Dewey Short Regional Visitor Center
will soon be opening!
The ribbon cutting ceremony for this beautiful structure
is scheduled for April 27th.
Ozarks Rivers Heritage Foundation will be sending information about activities and events to celebrate this much anticipated event - keep reading The Paper Buoy!
The new facility is a Class A Regional Visitor Center and has been designed to qualify for LEED Gold certification. The visitor center's unique building design and innovative construction practices will contribute to qualification of this prestigious certification. LEED- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, provides a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
Just a few of the features that will qualify the facility for LEED Gold certification include:
Building Materials- Materials were chosen considering their environmental impact, with an emphasis on nontoxic, recycled content, locally sourced and manufactured.
Water Efficient Landscape- Site drainage and water quality is managed through a series of rain gardens and dry streams winding their way through the native landscape.
Geothermal Heating and Cooling System- The lake is an existing resource that plays a key role in the building's HVAC system. The building utilizes a water-to-water heat pump, which incorporates an exchange loop that dumps heat to the lake in the summer and picks up heat from the lake in the winter.
Daylighting/Natural Light- Thermal pane insulated glass is used throughout the facility. Fluorescent lighting is installed to supplement natural light.
Green Housekeeping- Environmentally preferable products will be used for cleaning the facility. Power cleaning equipment meets standard Green Cleaning criteria. Use of recycled paper and plastic products helps conserve natural resources.
Be sure to plan a visit to the new Dewey Short Regional Visitor Center to learn more about the LEED features of this green building, see the interesting exhibits and check out the interactive water safety demonstration station.
