Award of Merit-Green Project

Photo Courtesy of Forrester Construction

The 125,000-sq-ft Robinson Nature Center is a three-story structure built into a hillside. It is currently on track to become one of three LEED-Platinum buildings in the state of Maryland. The $11-million project's interior includes interactive and multisensory exhibits, a large discovery room, a 150-seat auditorium, classrooms and meeting rooms, a 50-seat planetarium and a balcony. The center employs the latest green technologies to increase energy conservation, such as a green roof, an underground geothermal heating/cooling system and solar panels. Other elements of the project entailed building a new entrance road, a parking lot for 178 vehicles and outdoor nature trails.

Key Players

Owner: Howard County Government, Columbia, Md.

General Contractor: Forrester Construction Co., Rockville, Md.

Construction Manager: KCI Technologies, Rockville, Md.

Lead Designer: GWWO Inc./Architects, Baltimore

Submitted by: Forrester Construction Co., Rockville, Md.

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