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Community Facilities

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Camp Anna Behrens- Sherwood Lodge

• 3275 Walker Ave., NW Grand Rapids, Michigan 49544
• Owned by the Girl Scouts of Michigan, Camp Anna Behrens has been visited by countless Michigan girls throughout the years. Now, the camp has a green dining hall- the Sherwood Lodge! With a little help from a design team, the structure was largely designed by Anna Behrens campers. The hall seats 360 people and was constructed using trees harvested from the site.

David D. Hunting YMCA

John Corveau

• 475 Lake Michigan Drive, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
• The 159,000 square foot David D. Hunting YMCA is the largest urban YMCA in the nation. Notable green features include low-VOC interior finishes and flooring like Sherwin Williams paint, photovoltaic panels (Namaste), arched footprint and glass curtain walls for passive heating/cooling. Many materials have a high recycled content (such as the ceiling tiles and insulation), the gym floor was manufactured using sustainably harvested trees (Connor), and the site is landscaped with native vegetation and a bioswale. The building also features water-free urinals (Falcon), low-e glass, and cork tile (Expanko). The project was made possible by Integrated Architecture, Visser Brothers, JDH Engineering, and Moore&Bruggink. Completed in July 2005, the facility is certified under LEED NC, V2.

East Grand Rapids Community Center

• 746 Lakeside Dr. SE, East Grand Rapids, MI 49506
• After eighteen months of construction, the East Grand Rapids Community Center opened its doors in August 2006. The $9.4 million dollar project was designed by Cox Medendorp Olson Architects and contracted by Triangle Associates Inc. This 58,000 square foot LEED Certified Community Center houses the East Grand Rapids City Hall Offices and the branch of the Kent District Library System. Select LEED highlights of the project include:
• 3,222 tons of construction materials were reused from the existing library and city hall structures.
• 93% of construction waste was recycled. To help support local economies and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, 53% of materials were recycled within a 500 mile radius of the Community Center.
• Removal of storm water contaminates is accomplished using a swirl chamber and phosphate filter.
• The site utilizes a storm water retrieval system, capturing and storing the water for irrigation of the grounds.
• Through the use of low-flow fixtures, water use in toilets and sinks has been reduced by 37%.
• Sun shades and building design help control indoor heat gain and glare.
• High efficiency light bulbs aid in the elimination of light pollution.
Exclusive use of low VOC adhesives, carpets, and paints minimize harmful airborne contaminates in indoor spaces.
• The East Grand Rapids Community Center also features the “Wege Plaza” (donated by the Wege Foundation). Wege Plaza contains a green roof and walking area made of 10,000-14,000 recycled rubber tires and native, low maintenance vegetative plants.
• A photovoltaic solar panel system, also donated by the Wege Foundation, generates a total output of 16,374 watts of electricity, powering a portion of the Community Center’s needs.

East Hills Center (of the Universe)

Photo courtesy of Bazzani Associates

• 1001-1009 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
• Known locally as the Center of the Universe, the East Hills Center represents a successful brownfield redevelopment project in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously an abandoned Shell Oil Station at the corner of Lake and Diamond, the site now is home to a bustling commercial building thanks to the foresight of Guy Bazzani of Bazzani Associates. The building earned Gold LEED certification (LEED CS, v1.0) due to green features like a vegetated roof, a rain garden, exterior and primary interior built from Eco-Block Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs), high fly-ash concrete, and light shelves. Movable interior walls, a raised access floor, PLA carpet tiles (Interface, Inc.), no or low-VOC paint and motion sensors also contribute to the building's certification. The structure houses the offices of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, Marie Catrib's, and Cobblestone.

Ford Rouge Visitor Center

Ford Communications Network

• 3001 Miller Road, Dearborn, MI 48126
• The Ford Rouge Visitor Center, which services visitor education and tours for the adjacent Dearborn truck plant, earned Gold LEED certification for its sustainable design and construction (LEED NC, v2.0). This 30,000-square foot facility features a rainwater collection system that allows the use of rainwater for on-site irrigation and toilets. Other green features include vertical landscaping on the side of the structure and a solar array of photo sensory cells to capture sunlight and convert it to electricity. The Visitor Center anticipates educating over 250,000 visitors annually about sustainability. To help with this education, the Center built an observation deck with areas to overlook the Ford plant and educational displays describing surrounding green features. Visitors can view the orchard that provides habitat for pollinators and the section of parking lot with permeable pavement. In addition, Ford Motor Company incorporated a 454,000-square foot green roof into the greening of the plant in 1999. The roof, recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest green roof in the world, features sedum that can absorb 4 million gallons of rainwater annually. The roof is easily viewed from the observation deck during tours.

Forest Hills Fine Arts Center

Mark Thomas Productions, Ltd.

• 600 Forest Hill Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
• Designed by Integrated Architecture, the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center is the first public facility of its type to receive LEED certification in the U.S. (LEED NC, v2.0- silver rating). The 62,000 square foot Fine Arts Center was completed in 2003 and many green features were built into the design. Steel, concrete, and glass containing recycled content were incorporated into the building shell and more than half of the wood products were harvested sustainably (Forest Stewardship Council guidelines). Low-VOC adhesives, sealants, paints, and carpets were used in the construction, in addition to low-flow water fixtures and waterless urinals. The airflow in the auditorium comes from the floor (instead of the ceiling as in traditional buildings) to save energy and create a more comfortable environment. The Center also features lots of natural daylighting, in-floor radiant heat, and 20,000 square feet of bamboo wood flooring.

Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM)

Grand Rapids Art Museum

• 101 Monroe Center NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
• The new Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) facility opened its doors in October 2007, as the first LEED-Certified art museum in the world. Under LEED NC (Version 2.1), the GRAM earned a remarkable Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The $75 million, 125,000 square foot structure was designed by wHY Architecture and built by Rockford Construction. Noteworthy green features of the GRAM include:
  • The museum was built in a busy stretch of downtown Grand Rapids, replacing a sprawling surface parking lot in the city's core.
  • Storm water from the roof is collected in cisterns for re-use in restrooms, the reflecting pool, and on-site irrigation, reducing demand for treated city water by 20%.
  • The GRAM uses passive air conditioning via vapor misting.
  • The building's ventilation system continuously monitors carbon dioxide levels and adjusts air flow as needed.
  • 20 percent of the construction materials came from local sources and more than 10 percent of materials (including building insulation and carpeting) have recycled content.

Keystone Community Church

Jessica Eimer

• 655 Spaulding Avenue, Ada, MI 49301
• Completed in May 2004, Keystone Community Church obtained basic LEED Certification from the USGBC (LEED NC, v2.1). The 29,775 square foot church features daylighting, operable windows, stained concrete floor, low-VOC paints, and other green features. The Church also encourages alternative transportation by offering van accessible parking, bike racks and electric car recharging stations. Collaborators on the project included Integrated Architecture, Feyen-Zylstra, Quality Air, Rockford Construction, and JDH Engineering.

Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center

Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center

• 200 Viridian Drive, Muskegon, MI 49440
• Located in Muskegon, Michigan, the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) was awarded gold certification through the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system offered through the U.S. Green Building Council (LEED NC, v2.1). A part of Grand Valley State University, MAREC features an on-site 250 kW fuel cell, 30 kW photovoltaic solar panels, a nickel metal hydride battery, and a heat exchanger for exhaust gas heat recovery. Also housed in the 24,000 square foot MAREC building are three start-up companies focused on the development of advanced energy efficiency technologies. Check out their web site for more information.

Newberry Place- A Grand Rapids Cohousing Community

Newberry Place

• Corner of Livingston Ave. NE and Newberry St. NE in the Belknap lookout neighborhood of Grand Rapids, MI 49503
• Designed by Destiger/Smith Architects and built by Vander Koddle Construction
• Construction ended the summer of 2008 with residents moving in shortly after
• This urban community includes twenty private condominiums where residents own their own homes in a pedestrian friendly community with parking located around the perimeter. Cohousing, or collaborative housing, combines these private homes with more sustainable features such as a common house and outdoor common areas, encouraging frequent social interactions. The common house acts as a shared center intended for group meals, social events and other community activities. It includes a large dining room and kitchen, TV and media room, playroom, laundry facilities, and storage areas.
• The homes in Newberry Place are extremely energy efficient, surpassing Federal Energy Star standards by 50-65%. Select green features of the homes include:
  • Foam and cellulose insulation
  • Light wells and natural ventilation systems
  • High efficiency appliances
  • Solar water heaters
  • Natural marmoleum and bamboo flooring
  • Carpet made with recycled fibers
  • Common composting and recycling areas
• Not only is the cohousing community environmentally and socially friendly, Newberry Place also successfully built numerous community partnerships. Specifically, they partnered with the City of Grand Rapids, New Development Corporation and neighbors of Belknap lookout to establish a “Neighborhood Enterprise Zone.” This grants property owners in this zone a 50% reduction in property taxes. For more information on the NEZ program please visit the City of Grand Rapids website at www.grcity.us.

Rapid Central Station- Interurban Transit Partnership

Photo courtesy of the Interurban Transit Partnership

• 250 Grandville Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
• Completed in June 2004, the $22.7 million Rapid Central station in downtown Grand Rapids is an amazing spectacle. It was designed by Progressive AE and obtained a basic rating (LEED NC, v2.1) from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the first U.S. transportation facility to receive LEED certification. The 51,000 square foot station was built on a reclaimed brownfield site and features an undulating roof structure inspired by the Grand River rapids. The project also features bands of low-E glass, floors made from recycled glass aggregates, and a green roof system from LiveRoof (Spring Lake, MI). The station contains bays for 17 buses, community rooms, ticket sales offices, restrooms, a police sub-station, security, concessions and seating areas.

Funded by the Steelcase Foundation of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Header photo courtesy of Bigfoto
Site by CMC/GrandNet