SOLAR TODAY - May 2011

My architectural firm, Innovative Design in Raleigh, N.C., takes great pride in designing energy-efficient, environmentally sound build- ings. But in our 33-year-history, we’ve rarely
had a client that faced such challenges:
•;“Though;we;will;only;need;about;8,500;square;feet
(790;square;meters),;we;expect;more;than;40;visitors;per
hour,;24;hours;a;day,;all;year;long.”
•;“Other;facilities;in;North;Carolina;like;this;one;con-
sume;146,900;British;thermal;units;(Btu);per;square;foot
per year and hundreds of thousands of gallons of water
annually.”
•;“Half;the;building;will;require;100;percent;outdoor
air, parking and roads will cover half the 22-acre (9-hect-
are);site,;and;there;will;very;likely;be;hazardous;chemical
spills;—;but;we;really;do;want;to;be;green.”
The client that brought these challenges was the
North Carolina Department of Transportation. It was
NCDOT’s;first;attempt;at;pursuing;a;more;sustainable
design strategy in constructing one of its roadside rest
areas;and;visitor;centers.;The;facility,;now;LEED;Gold-
rated, is the Northwest North Carolina Sustainable Visi-
tor;Center,;located;in;Wilkes;County,;N.C.;NCDOT;is
now pursuing green strategies at its other facilities and,
more;importantly,;utilizing;the;Northwest;Visitor;Center
as;an;experiential;learning;opportunity;for;visitors.

NCDOT Secretary Gene Conti highlighted the
department’s increased emphasis on sustainable design
at;the;opening;ceremony;for;the;building;in;October
2009.;“People;think;DOT’s;color;is;either;yellow;from
our;trucks;or;orange;from;our;construction;cones,”;he
said.;“Today,;DOT;has;a;new;color;—;green.”
The;facility;serves;dual;purposes;as;a;highway;rest;area
as;well;as;a;visitor;center.;Located;at;the;lower;foothills
of the Northwestern mountain region of North Carolina,
the;facility;is;30;miles;( 48;kilometers);from;the;mountain
resort areas of Boone and Blowing Rock. It serves as a
tourist gateway for visitors from the major metropolitan
areas in the center of the state.

The;building;sits;at;the;top;of;the;hill;facing;true;south
and opens gently to the views of the lower mountains ➢

By Mike Nicklas, Faia

Mike Nicklas is the president of Innovative Design (innovative design.net), an architectural firm and pioneer in sustainable building design with more than 4,750 solar buildings to its credit. Nicklas has served as the chair of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) Board and the North Carolina Solar Energy Association (NCSEA) as well as president of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES). He is a recipient of the highest awards of ASES, NCSEA and ISES and is a Fellow of both ASES and the AIA.