Stiles Construction President Timothy Moore today announced that that the Palm Beach Zoo’s new Melvin J. and Claire Levine Animal Care Complex has become the first zoo animal hospital in Florida to achieve Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
The veterinary care complex built by Stiles has achieved the statewide milestone through the U.S. Green Building Council ’s stringent rating system that considers five key areas: site planning, water management, energy management, material use, indoor air quality and innovation in the design process.
“While our team has introduced a number of green building ‘firsts,’ the zoo hospital is truly the most unusual,” said Moore. “We’
The $4.8 million, 10,000-square-
Other green features include a reflective roof plus water-saving measures both inside and outside the building. About 50 percent of the site was restored with native plants to provide habitat and promote biodiversity, and about 20 percent of the property is dedicated to open space. The overall water savings is estimated at about 50 percent, through use of drought-tolerant landscaping and an efficient irrigation system. Inside, water-efficient fixtures are expected to reduce water consumption by nearly 40 percent.
The animal care center designed by Stuebben Architecture enables the zoo to perform preventative care and surgeries on-site for the full range of animals in the exhibits. Achieving Gold LEED certification required regular inspections throughout the construction process and adherence to detailed requirements for using environmentally-
To prevent the potential spread of infection throughout the hospital, the facility uses 100 percent outside air to supply its complex, high efficiency HVAC system. During construction, the Stiles team worked strategically to ensure indoor air quality would be superior when the facility opened. Covering all construction materials with visqueen avoided dust collection. Each evening, the crew covered all open-ended ductwork to prevent dust from accumulating and blowing into the building during HVAC system start-up. The drywall finishers used sanders equipped with vacuum dust collectors to reduce the spread of fine drywall dust particles. All workers adhered to strict rules for wiping shoes and keeping insect-attracting food and drinks off the site throughout the construction process.
An estimated 75 percent of construction waste was recycled and about 20 percent of the building materials were purchased regionally. Building products contained 20 percent recycled materials. Other eco-friendly products specified include bamboo flooring and ceiling material, low-emitting carpets, composite wood products, and adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings that have been determined to reduce levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Last year, Stiles earned Florida’s first Gold level LEED-EB (for existing buildings) certification for a multi-tenant office building, for the company’s headquarters building in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Stiles also created Broward County’s first Silver LEED certified multi-tenant office building, Lake Shore Plaza II in Sunrise.
Stiles is a full-service commercial real estate firm with a clear mission: Invest, Build and Manage. The company’s services include acquisitions, financing, development, design, construction, repositioning, realty, leasing and property management. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, the company has additional regional offices in Miami, Tampa, Ft. Myers and Orlando, Florida. Stiles is responsible for more than 37 million square feet of office, industrial, retail and mixed-use residential projects throughout the southeastern United States. For more information, please visit www.stiles.com or call 954-627-9300.
