battelle construction digital

THe BaTTeLLe DarBy CreeK MeTrO ParK nature centerBuilding information modeling aids in tHe Creation of a one-of-a-kind eduCational faCility

Visit us online at www.constructiondigital.com

by bRIaN skRIpaC, DIRECTOR Of bIM, assOC. aIa, lEED ap bD+C

http://www.constructiondigital.com

THe BaTTeLLe DarBy CreeK MeTrO ParK nature centerBuilding information modeling aids in tHe Creation of a one-of-a-kind eduCational faCility

March 2012

by bRIaN skRIpaC, DIRECTOR Of bIM, assOC. aIa, lEED ap bD+C

Breaking ground

pic Caption

sITUaTED wIThIN ThE DaRby CREEk Watershedoutside of Columbus, Ohio, this 14,000 square foot educational facility is the centerpiece of this 7,000 acre metro

park. The Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park Nature Center’ssite is in a newly developed and restored portion of

the park that has recently reintroduced a small population of bison, a species native to the area.

The center will support Columbus and Franklin County Metro Park’s (Metro Park) vision to encourage visitors by

cultivating their knowledge of the diverse ecosystem found within the Darby Creek Watershed. This includes native prairies,

re-introduction of the bison, creeks, wetlands and forests. The building will support sustainability practices and will utilize these features as an education tool for the public, containing spaces for interpretive exhibits (like the living stream to celebrate the watershed’s unique biodiversity), a multipurpose room, indoor and outdoor classrooms, a mezzanine and large observation deck for bison viewing.

Exhibiting these initiatives, the DesignGroup team leveraged


Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park Nature CenterBreaking ground

Bison reintroduced to Battelle darby Creek metro park


sITUaTED wIThIN ThE DaRby CREEk Watershedoutside of Columbus, Ohio, this 14,000 square foot educational facility is the centerpiece of this 7,000 acre metro

park. The Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park Nature Center’ssite is in a newly developed and restored portion of

the park that has recently reintroduced a small population of bison, a species native to the area.

The center will support Columbus and Franklin County Metro Park’s (Metro Park) vision to encourage visitors by

cultivating their knowledge of the diverse ecosystem found within the Darby Creek Watershed. This includes native prairies,

re-introduction of the bison, creeks, wetlands and forests. The building will support sustainability practices and will utilize these features as an education tool for the public, containing spaces for interpretive exhibits (like the living stream to celebrate the watershed’s unique biodiversity), a multipurpose room, indoor and outdoor classrooms, a mezzanine and large observation deck for bison viewing.

Exhibiting these initiatives, the DesignGroup team leveraged

March 2012

page 27Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park Nature Center

the building is designed to provide optimal viewing areas


tHe designgroup team leveraged a Bim workflow from tHe earliest stages of a projeCt’s ConCeption to

optimize tHe sustainaBility and passive design strategies tHe

Building emBodies. Brian Skripac, Director of BiM

a Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflow from the earliest stages of a project’s conception to optimize the sustainability and passive design strategies the building embodies. Taking advantage of the interoperability of Autodesk Revit Architecture,



the team ran multiple whole building energy simulations in AutodeskGreen Building Studio to study the impact of form, massing and orientation. The team was able to quantify and compare the energy consumption of multiple design iterations, and

March 2012




Bim also allowed designers to track the sun’s movement and intensity during different times of the year to make best use of solar elements


a favorable solar orientation was established for the project.

With an abundance of south-facing glass to maximize prairie views and daylighting opportunities, the team continued to simulate the qualitative aspects of the design by studying the impacts of different

daylight harvesting options in the project. Through these simulations,

DesignGroup was able to study where to locate and how to size shading devices and roof overhangs while maintaining a high level of daylight in the

building spaces, allowing the design team to validate how their

design decisions would maximize and minimize solar gains to have the

most positive impact on the building’s overall

March 2012


energy consumption throughout the year.Additional sustainable features that are contributing

to the project include: passive ventilation strategies, a vegetated roof system, a geothermal heat pump system, and the extensive vegetated bioswales/on-site stormwater processing. Targeting LEED Silver Certification, the facility is scheduled to open in

the site sits on the edge of the bison reserve



autodesk software helped designers locate light and heat sources


late 2012 and anticipates that its performance will exceed ASHRAE by more than 35%. The facility will serve as one of the host locations for the 2012 EcoSummitand continue to serve the educational needs of the community.

the site sits on the edge of the bison reserve

March 2012


autodesk software helped designers locate light and heat sources

illumination patterns are easily discern-able with autodesk technology

battelle construction digital

Documents