Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

The Mother Nature Network reported earlier this month on what may become North Carolina’s first LEED Platinum Certified public facility. The North Carolina Botanical Garden is a 900-acre garden in Chapel Hill, NC that has been using the same facility since it was founded in 1971. With a $12.5 million eco-friendly makeover and the help of Raleigh, NC-based architect Frank Harmon, the facility will hopefully attain the LEED Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Pender County, NC green home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes fully understands the USGBC’s format for LEED Platinum Certification, as we built what is only the second LEED Platinum home in North Carolina. Below is an excerpt on the article from Mother Nature Network, and to read more about North Carolina’s latest Green undertaking, click here!

“The garden, which is part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has had numerous successes in its quest to be a leader in the sustainability movement. It was one of the founding institutions for the Center for Plant Conservation, took an active role in writing state laws that led to the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program and holds the honor of being the first garden in North America to establish an exotic pest plant policy. The garden has also set a goal to reduce the collection of native plants from the wild, propagating them from seed instead.

Planning for the project began in 2006. The ambitious design plans called for all aspects of the building from the materials to the energy sources to be as eco-friendly as possible. Raleigh-based architect Frank Harmon designed the building to meet the garden’s goal of achieving LEED Platinum status.

‘If we achieve LEED Platinum status, we’ll be the first public building in North Carolina to reach that rating,’ [Executive Director Peter] White says.

The list of green architectural features certainly appears impressive enough to allow the garden to reach its goal. The 31,000 square-foot facility comprises three buildings for offices, classrooms and exhibit space.”