William J. Clinton Presidential Center

Photo credit: © Albert Vecerka

Overview

• Location: Little Rock, AR
• Climate Region: 3A: Warm - Humid
• Building type(s): Assembly, Recreation, Library, Interpretive Center
• 79% new construction, 21% renovation
• 167,000 ft2 (15,500 m2)
• Urban setting
• Completed November 2004
• Rating: U.S. Green Building Council LEED-EB, v.2.0 --Level: Platinum (69 points)
  Rating: Green Globes --Level: Two Green Globes
  Rating: U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1--Level: Silver (34 points)

The Clinton Presidential Center, located east of downtown Little Rock, is partially elevated, its bridge-like form both a reference to Little Rock's distinctive "Six Bridges" and a metaphor for the progressive goals of the Clinton presidency. Inside, a large, daylit exhibition space teaches visitors about the Clinton administration's initiatives.

Contrasting with the bridge building is the earthbound archive building, clad in stone and concrete. While the millions of documents and artifacts of the presidential archive are located in a secure, below-grade environment, the archivists occupy the light-filled glass and steel structure above.

This project was chosen as an Honorable Mention in the AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project Awards for 2007. It was submitted by Flack & Kurtz, Inc., in New York City. Additional project team members are listed on the "Process" screen.

Environmental Aspects

The project is located on a remediated brownfield on the south bank of the Arkansas River. Outside, the project features a park that extends an existing chain of parks along the river. The site includes a grass amphitheater, a playground, and a seasonal festival grove as well as quieter, more naturally landscaped and restored riparian spaces. A sophisticated irrigation system and water-efficient plumbing fixtures reduce the project's use of potable water.

The project was designed to encourage alternative transportation. Bike racks, showers, and changing rooms are provided for bicyclists and joggers; the city's light-rail system connects to the site; and the parking lot reserves priority parking for carpool vehicles and buses and charging stations for electric vehicles.

The project's outer west-facing wall of glass has a screened interlayer that blocks 50% of the sun's light and heat and 99% of the UV rays. The interior environment features demand-controlled ventilation and radiant-floor heating and cooling. Extensive daylighting, energy-efficient electric lighting, and a building-management system further improve the project's efficiency, and a 50-kilowatt photovoltaic array produces electricity on site. Materials were selected for their regional availability, recycled content, rapidly renewable content, and low chemical emissions.

Owner & Occupancy

• Owned and occupied by William J. Clinton Foundation, Corporation, nonprofit
• Typically occupied by 100 people, 40 hours per person per week; and 3,720 visitors per week, 4 hours per visitor per week

Keywords

Green framework, Transportation benefits, Brownfield redevelopment, Open space preservation, Glazing, Passive solar, HVAC, Lighting control and daylight harvesting, On-site renewable electricity, Benign materials, Local materials, Connection to outdoors, Daylighting, Ventilation effectiveness, Thermal comfort, Low-emitting materials, Indoor air quality monitoring

next topic: Process

Our thanks to the ENERGY STAR program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and to the U.S. Department of Energy, and to BuildingGreen, Inc. for hosting the submission and judging forms.

For more information about the AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects, contact AIA/COTE. For help on how to use this Web site, contact .