New Facilities Update
Grand Bay NERR Begins Construction of "Green" Building!
Large timeline photos of construction are available here. Photos are listed by date (yymmdd). For example the photo entitled progressbig080328 was taken in 2008 on March 28th. The newest photo is located at the bottom of the list.Construction of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR)/Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve's (NERR) "green" headquarters began in late October of 2007. The new building is targeted for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold-Level Certification, which means it will adhere to the strict set of energy and water saving criteria set by the U.S. Green Building Council. See our poster presentation on the subject.
An artist's rendition depicts the Grand Bay NERR's new permanent facilities.
Construction began on the 16,000 square-foot "green" building in October 2007.
The new building will house interpretive exhibits pertaining to the local ecology, which encompasses coastal bay, expansive saltwater marshes, maritime pine forest, pine savanna and pitcher plant bogs. It will also house classrooms, laboratories, a dormitory for visiting researchers and graduate students, and administrative office space for the Grand Bay NERR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"We want our new facility to be a state and regional demonstration of our philosophy of environmental consciousness and to show our visitors how natural building materials and sustainable design strategies and techniques can be used," said Grand Bay NERR Manager David Ruple.
The facility, designed by the Atlanta office of Lord, Aeck & Sargent in collaboration with Studio South Architects of Pascagoula, will be both state and federally funded. The project will include a rainwater collection and filtering system to eliminate potable water use for toilet flushing, extensive day-lighting with sun-shading overhangs to control unwanted solar gains, and an innovative chilled water storage system to minimize cooling costs, and displacement ventilation to provide a healthy indoor environment.
According to Jim Nicolow, AIA, a LEED Accredited Professional who leads Lord, Aeck & Sargent's sustainable design efforts, the use of daylight harvesting will optimize the building's thermal performance and is expected to result in energy performance that is a 40 percent improvement over Code. With the use of rainwater harvesting, no potable water will be required for sewage conveyance, resulting in an anticipated 40 percent reduction in water use.
"The Grand Bay NERR facility will be a wonderful example of appropriate coastal development," Nicolow said. "We're excited to be involved in the design of a green demonstration building that shows and teaches through its architecture what sustainable design is all about and that it's possible to develop land responsibly in sensitive areas."
The goal of the architects was to design a building not only with environmentally friendly or "green" features and a minimal impact on the landscape, but also with elements inherent to coastal structures, such as low-slung roofs, deep porches and a one-story wood-framed structure elevated on pilings.
"Everything about the design of this project, including both the actual construction process and its operational life, was approached with a great deal of sensitivity toward its environmental impact," said Hoppy Allred of Studio South Architects. "Every decision along the way - from the building's orientation on the site, to the mechanical/plumbing systems selected, even down to the manufacturing processes and the transportation of the materials incorporated - as made from the Grand Bay NERR's standpoint of us having a responsibility to protect our natural resources."
The Grand Bay Reserve is located near the community of Pecan in southeast Jackson County and includes wild lands and waterways from Bangs Lake to the Alabama state line. A major goal of the Reserve is to provide for research coordination and dissemination of scientific data to the community and local decision-makers to provide sound information on which to base management decisions. The 18,000+-acre reserve is home to several rare plant and animal species and serves as an essential nursery habitat for numerous important commercial and recreational fish species. The Reserve is managed through state-federal partnership between the Department of Marine Resources and its partners - Mississippi Secretary of State's Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi State University, The University of Southern Mississippi, The Nature Conservancy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the State by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at www.dmr.state.ms.us.