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Green Buildings Open House: Self-Guided Tour in Boston

Solar Boston Self-Guided Tour

Saturday, October 4, 2003
10AM - 2PM

This year local organizer Solar Boston is offering a "Self-Guided Tour" of sites throughout Greater Boston. Visit the Visit the Solar Boston website for a list of participating sites. Feel free to visit all the sites or just check out the one or two that interest you most! Please note that we will have experts stationed at many of the sites who can explain the technologies, discuss available incentives, and answer questions. All homes and buildings listed will be open from 10AM to 2PM. At 2 we encourage everyone to join us for a celebration at the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan for food, activities, and a tour of their new green building.

2PM to 4PM: Boston Nature Center Celebration

You are invited to join us for an afternoon of food, entertainment and activities at Mass Audubon's Boston Nature Center in Mattapan. You will have the opportunity to tour the George Robert White Environmental Conservation Center, a "green building," and talk with experts in the fields of solar energy and green building design. Please email debra@massenergy.com to RSVP.

About the Boston Nature Center

Address: 450 B Walk Hill Street
Architect: The Primary Group & Steven Winters & Associates
Construction Cost: $2.2 million
Square Feet: 10,300
Builder: Peabody Construction
Year Built: 2002

Building Features:

• Daylighting
• Geothermal heat pump
• Solar domestic hot water
• Photovoltaics

Other Building Information: Extensive use of daylighting in all major public and staff areas. Lighting fixtures automatically dim depending on available daylight. The GRWECC was constructed with a very efficient building "envelope". Features include high performance glazings, structural insulated roof panels, well-insulated walls and air filtration barriers. It uses a highly efficient ground source geothermal heat pump system that takes advantage of the thermal mass and solar energy stored in the earth to provide efficient heating and cooling. Building related landscape features include a south-facing vine trellis to provide summer shading, an outdoor amphitheater and a new wetlands area that treats the buildings rain runoff from the roof. The building also uses a number of "green" building materials: The furniture and chairs are made from 100% recycled materials; certified wood shingles; trim and framing from sustainable forestry operations; low emission carpets made with recycled content (plastic bottles); low emission paints; ceramic tiles made with recycled glass; locally-quarried stone; rot-resistant pressure-treated wood made without chromium or arsenic.

General Information: Located in Mattapan, MA at the center of the Boston State Hospital Development, the Center consists of an administrative wing, and exhibit hall, and an education wing. The center incorporates & displays the principles of sustainable design through its energy saving systems. The GRWECC is elligible for a LEED certified Silver Rating. The building is owned by The George Robert White Fund/City of Boston and leased by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

For more information, please call Debra at 617-524-3950 or email debra@massenergy.com