Durham County Regional Library Facilities Earn LEED Certification

Lew Myers
919-941-9790

07/09/2007

DURHAM—The East Regional Library and North Regional Library building projects have both earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Building Rating System.  East Regional was certified and North Regional earned the silver level of certification through this nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

East Regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Lane, opened in June 2006.  North Regional Library, 221 Milton Road, opened in January 2007.  The groundbreaking for the third new regional facility, which will be situated on the old Lowe’s Grove School property on Alston Avenue near Highway 54, is planned for late 2007.  The three new facilities and the expansion and renovation of Southwest Branch into a regional facility are part of the Durham County Capital Improvement Plan.  When the four projects are complete, there will be a full-service library within five miles of almost everyone in Durham County.  Planning for the Southwest Regional Library project is underway; the architect is Cherry Huffman Architects PA.

The impressive, environmentally friendly design for the three new regional facilities was a collaborative effort of an amazing team of professionals, including Durham County Engineers; The Freelon Group Inc. architects; Coulter Jewel Thames PA civil engineers; Engineered Designs Inc. mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers; GKC Associates PA structural engineers; Alicia Ravetto AIA, the sustainability consultant; The Design Collaborative library consultants; and Durham County Library staff.  C.T. Wilson Construction Co. Inc. was the general contractor for the two completed projects.

From the initial planning for the new libraries, Durham County commissioners and administrators and the County Engineering Department made LEED certification a goal for the three 25,000-square-foot regional library projects.  That goal impacts every phase of the projects, including design, construction and operation.  LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:  sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. 

To earn LEED certification, a building project must earn “credits” by meeting prerequisites and performance benchmarks in each of the key areas.  Projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification depending on the number of credits they achieve.  

Construction of the three new regional libraries is possible because local citizens approved bond referendums for Durham County Library in 2001 and 2003.  Bond referendum funds and additional county 2/3 bond funds cover the majority of the land acquisition, design, construction, furnishing and collection expenses. 

Durham County Library provides the entire community with books, services and other resources that inform, inspire learning, cultivate understanding and excite the imagination.

View Project Page:

East and North Regional Branches

For more information:  Durham County Library.

For more information:  U.S. Green Building Council.

For more information:  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.