The National Aviary announced that The Garden Room, an all-seasons event space opened in October 2020, has been awarded LEED Gold certification. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized symbol of dedication to sustainable building practices that benefit the environment and human health. LEED’s rating system is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.
The Garden Room features walls and windows on three sides that incorporate about 2,700 square feet of insulating glass units (IGUs) fabricated with Solarban® 72 Acuity™ solar control, low-emissivity (low-e) and low-iron glass by Vitro Architectural Glass, as well as AviProtek® acid-etched bird-safe glass from Walker Glass on the outer surface. This glass uses a bird-safe pattern to prevent window strikes by wild birds in the surrounding park while also maximizing energy efficiency.