Green Building

In the United States, buildings use one-third of our total energy, two-thirds of our electricity, one-eighth of our water, and alter land that provides valuable ecological resources.

From purchasing construction materials locally to cut down on carbon emissions during transport to choosing carpet made of recycled plastic bottles, there are many green options when it comes to reducing the impact buildings have on the environment.

LEEDing the Charge

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the industry-recognized, voluntary standard for sustainable building design. LEED promotes green design in six major categories.

Sustainable Sites

When choosing a building site, the protection and restoration of natural areas should be considered.

Water Efficiency

Buildings should incorporate features that minimize water consumption.

Energy & Atmosphere

To minimize the impact on the atmosphere, buildings should run as efficiently as possible.

Materials & Resources

Eco-friendly materials and resources should be used and surplus should be salvaged or recycled.

Indoor Environmental Quality

Buildings should offer a healthy and productive environment for employees as well as visitors.

Innovation & Design Process

Green building design should demonstrate a commitment to innovation and sustainability.

What Does the Zoo Do?

The Zoo pledges to pursue LEED certification on all new construction projects, and is the first zoo in America to make such a commitment. The first LEED-certified building at the Zoo (and the first Silver-certified building in Cincinnati) was the Harold C. Schott Education Center, which opened in 2006. The Historic Vine Street Village, which opened in 2009, was also built to LEED-certification. The Zoo also works to retrofit existing buildings with green features whenever possible.

Some of the Zoo’s green building efforts include:

Light-colored roofs reflect sunlight and prevent hot spots that disturb the natural climate.
The giraffe barn’s green roof and rain gardens (Go Green Garden, Education Center, Parking lot) reduce the rate and volume of storm water that enters the sewer system.
Two water retention tanks (12 feet in diameter and 144 feet long) are buried beneath the Vine Street parking lot to collect rainwater runoff from the lot and slowly release it into the city’s storm water system.
Water main repairs, finely tuned filtration systems, waterless urinals, and low-flow faucets and toilets reduce water consumption.
A portion of the energy needs for the Education Center and Membership and Ticketing Building are generated by solar panels (20kW and 10kW arrays, respectively).
A solar water heating system provides warm water to the Vine Street Village restrooms.
Light fixtures contain energy-efficient T8 fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL).
Building materials include renewable bamboo and strawboard (made of sunflower seed shells and wheat straw), composite wood (made of recycled plastic and wood waste), and recycled carpeting, steel, and drywall.
Low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, and carpet minimize the release of potentially harmful gases, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), into the air.
The METRO bus hub incorporated into the Vine Street Parking Lot is the first LEED certified bus hub in the nation, with solar panels on the roof and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting

Go Green Challenge: Green Your Home

Get tips from the U.S. Green Building Council's Green Home Guide.

Benjamin Moore donated its greenest, lowest emissions paint, Natura®, to the Zoo's Go Green Garden.