Whittingham Discovery Center Scores LEED Platinum
The Whittingham Discovery Center, an architectural icon in Stamford, Connecticut’s Mill River Park, has received a LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council – the highest level attainable from the rating system.
Designed as a vibrant community gathering place, the building earned 82 points on the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) scorecard. It is one of only nine newly constructed LEED Platinum certified projects in Connecticut.
South facing photovoltaic panels provide up to half of the building’s annual energy needs.
The Center’s advanced sustainable systems include an extensive solar array, ample daylight from a high-performance curtain wall, and an energy recovery ventilation system that ensures fresh air circulates throughout the building. It also earned pilot credits for biophilic design elements that connect it to nature. These include leaf patterned metal panels on its exterior, views of the park from the interior, and an extensive green roof.
Metal panels, with a color reminiscent of tree trunks, feature a biophilic pattern that casts dramatic shadows inside.
An important function of Mill River Park is to educate schoolchildren who might not otherwise visit a park. To support this charge, the building’s interpretive signage explains building systems, exhibits feature local flora and fauna, and hands-on activities offer diverse learning opportunities.
Visitors are immersed in the ecology of Mill River Park with experiments, exhibits, and signs that explain how the building reduces its carbon footprint.
The Whittingham Discovery Center is owned by Mill River Park Collaborative, which was formed in 2003 to establish and maintain a central park in downtown Stamford. Its staff, led by longtime Vice President of Capital Planning Mike Stake and Nette Compton, President and CEO, were integral to the project’s success.
Design Team
Anna Shakun, AIA, LEED AP
Frank Giordano, AIA, LEED AP
Jim Childress, FAIA
Jim Coan, AIA, LEED AP
Ken Cleveland, AIA
Mark Herter, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Misha Semënov-Leiva, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CPHC
Peter Cornell, AIA, LEED AP
Consultants
BVH Integrated Services, a Salas O’Brien company – Commissioning
e2 Engineers – Structural Engineer
Kohler Ronan – MEP Engineer
Lightcraft – Lighting Designer
Montagno Construction, Inc. – General Contractor
SLR Consulting – Civil Engineer
STIMSON – Landscape Architect
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