From the Ground Up: The Watershed Center Education Building

Owner/developer: The Watershed Committee of the Ozarks
General contractor: Carson-Mitchell Inc.
Architect: Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc.
Engineers: Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, structural; Malone Finkle Eckhardt & Collins Inc., mechanical, electrical and plumbing; Greene County (Jon Williams), civil
Size: 4,400 square feet
Estimated cost: $800,000
Lender: None
Estimated completion date: March 1
Project description: The center will house public meeting spaces, educational demonstration areas and offices for staff members of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks. Applying elements such as insulated-roof panels, a rainwater harvesting system and ground source heating and cooling, the center is designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Gold standards, said project manager Chris Carson of Carson-Mitchell Inc. Loring Bullard, executive director of Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, said roughly half the funding for the project came from grants through agencies such as Springfield-Greene County Park Board, Greene County and City Utilities. The remainder is funded through private donations, he said, noting donations are still being sought to add elements into the plan, including outdoor restrooms, trails and parking lots.