Today in Dallas, former President George W. Bush celebrated the dedication of his presidential library and center along with President Barack Obama and former Presidents Carter, H.W. Bush and Clinton.
Here are a few facts about the Bush Center:
– 226,000-square-foot located on 23 acres.
– Includes a 15-acre urban park that recreates a Texas prairie.
– The library and museum holds more than 70 million pages of paper records, 43,000 artifacts, 200 million emails and 4 million digital photographs. It’s the largest holding of digital records of any presidential library.
– The 14,000-square-foot permanent exhibit in the museum includes parts dedicated to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, the Florida recount and various other historical events.
– The Bush library is the 13th presidential library administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. It’s the third presidential library in Texas.
The George W. Bush Presidential Center is also certified green. It earned Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) program. This is the first presidential library to achieve LEED Platinum certification under New Construction. At the dedication ceremony, former President Clinton joked that former President Bush out did him with this achievement. The William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas opened as LEED Silver in 2004, but has since made improvements to achieve LEED Platinum for existing buildings.
Below is a list of the Bush Center’s green features.
Site Development:
– Restored habitat by planting more than 70 percent of site (17.6 acres)
Reduce “heat island” effect using materials with Solar Reflective Index of at least 29
– 20 percent recycled construction materials, majority of construction waste diverted from landfills
– Used regionally sourced construction materials
Hydrology:
– Facility water use reduced by up to 40 percent
– Water efficient landscaping, storage of rain water to meet 50 percent of site irrigation demands
– Use of native plants, which require less water for irrigation
Energy Efficiency:
– Green roof systems, reducing cooling and heating demands
– Solar hot water system, supplies 100 percent of the Bush Center’s domestic hot water
– 10 percent of power generated by solar photovoltaic system
– High-performance, low-iron insulated glazing units to reduce heating and cooling loads
– High-efficiency HVAC systems to reduce energy demand
– Deep exterior overhangs to shade Bush Center building keeping it cooler
Alternate Transportation:
– Near Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail and bus service
– Parking designated for low-emission, fuel-efficient and carpool vehicles
Dr. Tony G. Reames 