ust as the National Park Service urges visitors to take only memories and leave only footprints, it's doing all it can to preserve nature as it sets up camp on the banks of the Missouri, at the new site of its Midwest regional headquarters and Lewis and Clark Historic Trail headquarters. The new facility shows off advanced technology that's environmentally friendly, but also incorporates primitive design approaches that help the building fit into the natural landscape.
After 40 years in its previous facility, NPS had outgrown the space, and Midwest directors believed the long-term savings made the investment in a "green building" worthwhile, and one consistent with the organization's mission. Fortunately, the city of Omaha was looking to reclaim its riverfront and attract corporate and residential development to an old industrial corridor, so municipal leaders offered incentives to developers, who were then able to pass some of the savings on to tenants. As the sole occupant of the building, the Park Service signed a 20-year lease for the space, which gave the organization plenty of say in the building's construction.
And that meant environmentally sound practices from the top down: The highest floor of the building features five huge glass bays and a raised ceiling with an abundance of natural light-as sunlight increases, artificial light is automatically lowered, maintaining a constant level of light and preserving energy. At ground level, there's not a blade of bluegrass to be found-native plants surround the building, and require little or no watering, thanks to containment ponds that capture run-off from the parking lot and drainage from the roof. In only a few months, the small wetlands area that's been created has already attracted animal life just beyond the building's doorstep.
From the moment employees and visitors arrive, they find a parking lot with priority spaces set aside for carpoolers and AC power outlets for electrical vehicles that haven't even been invented yet. And because of the way the building is situated on the riverbank, more than 90 percent of the employees have a view of the Missouri from their chairs-Greenguard-certified chairs, in fact, manufactured using sustainable processes, with recyclable materials.
But what do the employees think?
"We love it," says Craig Kenkel, chief of cultural resources for Midwest Region. "The building has an industrial feel to it with the exposed concrete beams and natural wood, so it's not a typical spec commercial office space. Its location on the river has a relaxing, calming effect on staff, who can look out and enjoy the scenery and the environment, which is constantly changing."
In fact, the change in seasons has brought a few special guests to the building's front door, helping the Park Service fit into the community as much as the building does.
"We had a wonderful summer and the plants on our grounds really took off," says Kenkel. " One day, before our autumn frost, Lakota Indian tribal members came down and harvested sweetgrass for ceremonial use in the future. That's the kind of interaction we expect to expand with Native Americans and others coming to the site."
The building will also include a small satellite visitor center affiliated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, so Park Service employees will be able to interact with the people who appreciate their work on a regular basis. The Western National Parks Association also agreed to install a bookstore adjacent to the lobby this summer, which should increase foot traffic as well.
And it's not only park visitors who have been passing through - designers and architects from all over the country have toured the facility and asked about its features, so there's a good chance this one-of-kind office building won't be one-of-a-kind for much longer.
