Leading the Way in Fulton County GA: LEED Certified Libraries
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Cleveland Avenue Library: THE First LEED Platinum Library in the State of Georgia. Photo Credits to JandD images
For the past few years, 2M Design Consultants has provided LEED Administration Oversight for the Fulton County Library System (FCLS) in Georgia. The FCLS is the largest library system in the state, with 34 libraries in different districts and 2.5 million items. Each library serves as a cultural center with programs and resources tailored to the community. There are currently 32 FCLS projects administered by 2M; 31 including one LEED Platinum library, 17 LEED Gold libraries and 11 Silver libraries. This summer, two libraries will be completing their final construction review and are on track for LEED Silver. There are also two projects that will look at LEED Commercial Interior next year.
2M, a GPRO Delivery Partner, has trained more than 200 participants including building officials, library staff, construction professionals in the Greater Atlanta Area and students in the Atlanta Technical College Construction Program. Much of this training was linked to LEED Pilot Credit 81, in addition to teaching green building practices used within the FCLS. There are also plans for library staff to receive LEED training so that they can give tours of the spaces and ensure sustainability best practices while operating the libraries.
While all the libraries feature best-in-class high-performance building techniques, the Cleveland Avenue Library is notable as the sole LEED Platinum library in the system (and only 4,229 buildings in the world share this certification). The building incorporated green building design elements and achieved a 40 percent reduction in baseline indoor water use, 95 percent existing building and envelope reuse, and 50 percent onsite renewable energy through a Solar PV system. Additionally, because the building is LEED certified with a solar system it can serve as a resident shelter in an emergency weather event.
Central Atlanta Library: A $50M renovation library flagship project expected to achieve LEED Gold. Photo Credits to Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
East Atlanta Library: This library was 2M's first LEED project. Photo Credits to JandD Images
Evelyn G. Lowery Library at Cascade: Named after the civil rights leader, the library holds a LEED Gold certification and is up for the USGBC-GA’s 2021 Chrysalis Award. Photo Credits to McMillan Pazdan Smith Architects
Congratulations to 2M and the Fulton County Library System for consistently achieving high standards in high-performance building through LEED certifications and GPRO training! To learn more about the FCLS LEED projects, visit their website and check out these articles:
