It’s difficult to teach young kids about concepts like sustainability and not being wasteful. I know I have to constantly remind my own children to turn off the faucet and not leave every light in the house burning. I also know I am not alone.
It’s nice to see a large corporation leading by example when it comes to raising our kids to appreciate sustainability. AECOM employs 46,000 people worldwide and is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government.
AECOM is also the designer for the world’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum-certified public children’s garden in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
According to the AECOM website:
The Paul Smith Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens is one of less
than 300 projects worldwide to achieve Platinum status and the second commercial
project in Wyoming to earn LEED Platinum.
The goal of the AECOM design team for the Children’s Village was to create an interest and understanding in children of natural and sustainable systems through fun, interactive experiences in a garden setting. The garden showcases and interprets sustainable systems for food production and preparation, water quality, energy production, habitation, community building, and cultural fulfillment.
The Children’s Village features a historic prairie that allows visitors to see how Native Americans lived in the Cheyenne area; a sustainable agriculture area featuring a village square, farmer’s market and amphitheater; a solar court that demonstrates healthy food preparation methods that utilize fresh produce; and examples of water systems, including the use of flow forms, aeration and biolfiltration with wetlands.
Over 77% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill and repurposed in recycled concrete walls, piers, and amphitheater seating. “As we began the LEED process, the team had to be practical and flexible with our design strategies,” stated Mark Kosmos, AECOM project manager. “An early walk of the site revealed a quantity of discarded viaduct stone and a vast supply of concrete slab on site from a previous era. We were able to reuse these materials in the walls and amphitheater in artful ways. It turned out this was not only sustainable but also practical and cost effective.”
Click here for some children's garden pictures.
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