Innovative Yet Organic Strategies for a Historic Site

In planning the visitor center at Monticello, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation envisioned an educational and inspiring “gateway” experience for visitors as they arrive to tour one of the country’s most famous residences. The design team focused on minimizing the impact of the 42,000-square-foot center on the historic site, while introducing innovations to enhance the sustainability of the LEED^®-Gold facility.

The complex is composed of five pavilions constructed on a sloping, hillside site around a central courtyard. The three-level structures house four major exhibitions, a small theater, a gift shop, café, classrooms, and the Griffin Discovery Room—an interactive environment in which children can explore Jefferson’s life and achievements. The project was designed to optimize the building envelope. Sustainable highlights include variable air flow units, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, central lighting controls, energy use monitoring, carbon dioxide sensors, efficient HVAC equipment, and an on-site wastewater treatment plant that feeds a drip irrigation field. The installation of a closed-loop geothermal chiller/heater system provides the energy efficiency of a chilled water system but saves approximately 850,000 gallons of water a year and eliminates the need for a cooling tower or condensers that require screening.