Case Study

Gorges State Park Visitors' Center

Industry

Institutional, Parks

Project Location

Transylvania County, NC

Project Scope

7,100 SF Visitor Center, 5,141 SF Maintenance Facility

Cooper Construction built the visitor center at Gorges State Park in southwestern Transylvania County, North Carolina, in stone and timber.

It is certified LEED Gold, the highest certification Cooper holds. That came from active and passive solar, geothermal, rainwater collection, water-saving fixtures and natural landscaping, all specified together rather than added at the end.

The center is 7,100 square feet. Inside is an exhibit hall with hands-on exhibits for children, including a manmade waterfall, plus a teaching auditorium for 75, a classroom for 40 and the park's administrative offices. Covered decks wrap the building and hold the view.

The same contract built a 5,141 square foot maintenance facility, a 3,022 square foot picnic shelter and a 640 square foot toilet building.