This article first appeared in the 200806
issue of BD+C.
Earth Day 2008—April 22—was the occasion for groundbreaking on the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, Ill. The 7,000-sf facility will house two early education classrooms, two multi-use rooms, staff offices, and interpretive sustainable living displays. It has been registered with the USGBC to meet LEED-NC Platinum standards. Sustainable features include a green roof, a permeable paver entry drive and parking areas, and harvested timber from the wooded site. Stormwater management and black water cleansing through constructed wetlands have been designed to fit in the context of the building and its surroundings. Wight & Company, Darien, Ill., is design-building the $5 million facility.
