Hardin Construction Company’s sustainability portfolio includes nearly 20 LEED-certified projects, but none of them has quite lit up the green-o-meter like the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Green Expansion The Garden’s new visitor center and parking deck received Gold LEED certification. Hardin served as general contractor on project.
The Garden’s innovative expansion project earned recognition from the nation’s leading evaluator of environmentally sustainable buildings, and is generating kudos for its abundant environmentally friendly amenities.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded LEED Gold certification to two elements of the project-a striking new visitor center that captures natural light and features two green roofs that absorb rainfall and provide sound and thermal insulation; and a parking facility nestled into a steeply sloped, once-blighted hillside.
They were in the first phase of the Garden’s $55 million expansion, designed to offer visitors new gardens and amenities while emphasizing sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
LEED Leadership
“Joining the Atlanta Botanical Garden and other members of the project team in such an impressive project was quite an honor,” said Hardin President Bill Pinto. “Hardin shares the Garden’s commitment to sustainability, and we congratulate the Garden for its leadership in green building and for the project’s achievement of LEED Gold certification.”
Jova/Daniels/Busby designed both facilities, the Hardin Visitor Center and the SAGE Parking Facility. Silverman Construction Program Management managed the projects.
Hardin Construction is known for its expertise in green building and for obtaining LEED certifications for its clients. Hardin is ranked by Southeast Construction magazine among the top 10 in the southeast in green building. Hardin has also received several Urban Land Institute Development of Excellence Awards.
The Garden’s Green Expansion substantially enlarged the Garden and enhanced its offerings while reducing the attraction’s overall heat island effect and increasing its sustainability features. For example, the new multi-level parking facility, which the Garden shares with neighboring Piedmont Park, occupies only one acre and allowed both the Garden and the park to convert existing parking lots to green space.
Hardin Construction recently completed Phase II of the expansion, which includes an Edible Garden, the Cascade Gardens with brilliant flowers and flowing water features, and a Canopy Walk, a soaring, 600-foot reverse suspension bridge that provides visitors a journey through the treetops of Storza Woods, a forest of mature hardwood trees.
Environmental sustainability was considered in every aspect of the project, from green roofs and a cistern to harvest storm water for irrigation and water features, to recycled granite curbs. Coordinating with an arborist, workers went to great lengths to prevent damage to trees, critical root zones and tree canopies.
About Hardin Construction
Hardin Construction Company, LLC provides unequalled construction services through its culture of integrity, innovation and opportunity. Hardin is ranked among the nation’s top construction companies and is nationally recognized by the industry for its outstanding safety record. A leader in green construction, Hardin has completed nearly 20 LEED-certified projects and has more than 40 LEED Accredited Professionals. Founded in 1946 and privately held, Hardin’s services include general construction, construction management, design-build, and renovation for projects of broad scope and complexity. Hardin has headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., and offices in Tampa, Fla., Orlando, Fla., Raleigh, N.C., and Austin, Texas.
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