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The Bosarge Family Education Center at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Boothbay, Maine

Project Type: Education and Green Building
  • OWNER: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
  • ARCHITECT: Scott Simons Architects/Maclay Architects & Planners
  • DELIVERY METHOD: CM
  • MEP ENGINEER: Allied Engineering/Energy Balance
  • STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Becker Structural Engineers
  • CONSTRUCTION COST: $3.06 Million
  • COMPLETED: 2011
  • AWARDS: 2013 AIA Maine COTE, Institutional/Education Citation, 2012 AIA Vermont Citation, 2013 Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Zero Net Energy Building Award, 2012 Woodworks, Eastern Wood Design Awards, Green Building Wood Design Award

This 8,000-square-foot structure is a prefabricated (post and beam) super-insulated package by Bensonwood Homes. The exterior walls are R-40, and the roofs are R-60. The project has a 45kw photovoltaic system. The windows are a high-end German triple-glazed unit. High-tech daylighting sensors maximize the amount of natural light coming into the center, helping to reduce electricity use by 60%.

Water conservation is a major component of the center’s green features. Low-flow faucets and fixtures conserve water, while rainwater is collected underground in a 1,700-gallon cistern and then used for toilets. The floors and ceilings are made of maple and pine harvested from sustainable forests in Maine certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

This Net Zero project received LEED Platinum certification and the AIA Vermont Citation for Excellence in Architecture. Maclay Architects received the Zero Net Energy Award at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Conference.

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Photo credit Robert Benson