Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center

The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, designed in collaboration with the National Park Service, exemplifies a sustainable approach that integrates innovative ecological and architectural strategies within its unique mountainous setting. The two-story structure, carefully nestled into the hillside to minimize site disturbance, features a green roof, Trombe walls, and passive solar strategies to harmonize with the surrounding landscape and reduce environmental impact. The design optimizes building performance using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), thermal analysis, and daylight modeling to enhance energy efficiency. The facility’s passive solar Trombe walls, vented for seasonal climate control, contribute to natural ventilation and thermal comfort, while horizontal shades and clerestories facilitate daylight harvesting. The green roof, planted with native species, serves as a functional element in stormwater management, alongside bio-retention areas that filter runoff. The project further mitigates ecological impact by utilizing sustainable materials with low embodied energy, and incorporating recycled content in construction. A 100% garden roof and minimal parking expansion exemplify a commitment to preserving the site’s natural ecosystems, fostering habitats for native wildlife. The result is a LEED Gold-certified facility that showcases sustainable design principles in a regionally sensitive, modern vernacular form, reflective of the area’s cultural and environmental heritage.