New Twain House Museum Honored As Nation's First ‘'Green Museum‘

When Mark Twain built his Victorian mansion in 1874, it was the epitome of a modern home, with features such as central heating, hot and cold running water and gas lighting fixtures that were uncommon in homes of the period.

One hundred and thirty years later, the new Museum Center on the grounds of Twain's restored Hartford home is a leader in its own right, becoming the first museum in the nation, and the first building of any kind in Connecticut, to attain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The LEED Certification was presented to the museum at an event April 19, 2004 signaling the start of Earth Week. In addition, the museum was presented with the Environmental Leadership Award from the Connecticut Green Building Council and 2004 GreenCircle Certificate from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high–performance, sustainable buildings. LEED Certification distinguishes building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability by meeting the highest performance standards. It emphasizes state–of–the–art strategies for site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive system offering project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources. Additional information about LEED certification is available at www.usgbc.org.

About LEED Certification

LEED provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. Based on well–founded scientific standards, LEED emphasizes state–of–the–art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive system offering project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources.

LEED was created to:

• define a "green building" by establishing a common standard of measurement
• promote integrated, whole–building design practices
• recognize environmental leadership in the building industry
• stimulate green competition
• raise consumer awareness of green building benefits
• transform the building market

The Mark Twain House Museum Center:
Creating an Energy Efficient Green Building

• Geothermal wells will be the predominant heating and cooling source rather than fossil fuel.
• A closed-loop system eliminates water lost to evaporation through the cooling tower in a conventional system.
• The overall energy efficiency of HVAC system is nearly 30 percent greater than a system designed to building code.
• The building is designed to accept future energy–saving enhancements such as photo–voltaic solar panels on the south wall and, potentially, fuel cells.
• Local materials from within a 500–mile radius have been employed to reduce transportation energy costs.
• Recycled material content exceeds 25 percent throughout the project.
• The zoning and the air filtration requirements of the building systems will enhance indoor environmental quality for visitors and staff.
• Building materials have been selected to minimize, if not eliminate, the negative consequences of VOCs and other harmful impacts of "off–gassing."
• The monumental stair case from the first to second floors is the primary vertical circulation for visitors. It allows the elimination of a passenger elevator, conserving fossil fuel and elevator maintenance costs, and providing a unique visitor experience.
• Wood products used in this project are from FSC certified sources that confirm renewable and responsible forestry practices.
• Flyash concrete was utilized to reduce the additional heat of hydration resulting from Portland cement–based concrete.
• Lighting fixtures at the exterior have been designed to eliminate off-site glare and night-sky impacts.
• The extent of the building that is underground contributes to significant reductions in the heat gain and heat loss of the building envelope
• Parking has been minimized, thereby reducing storm water runoff and pollution impact. Native vegetation has been selected to eliminate the need for an irrigation system and increased water use.

Additional information about LEED certification is available from the United States Green Building Council –www.usgbc.org.