Discovery Center addition

General contractor DeWitt & Associates moves forward with the addition to and renovation of Discovery Center in downtown Springfield. H Design Group LLC is the architect. Engineers are Mettemeyer Engineering LLC, structural; and Malone, Finkle, Eckhardt & Collins, mechanical, electrical and plumbing. The 31,000-square-foot project, with an estimated construction cost of $3.5 million, is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified through the U.S. Green Building Council. As part of the center’s sustainable design goals, the project uses flowable fill, a concrete mix with a high percentage of fly ash – a recycled material – instead of rock and soil to fill excavation areas. The project, which includes expanded exhibit areas, two large classrooms, additional space for videoconferencing and a new theater, is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.