Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

The Dellbrook | JKS team is extremely proud of its work on the Massachusetts Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. In addition to turning over a high quality project on time and under budget to the owners, another one of our primary objectives for this project was having this building score high in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™ established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

In the process, our in-house and field staff gained the knowledge and expertise to use environmentally sensitive & sustainable building products and systems. Our goal is to be at the forefront of Green Building technology and have a LEED® Accredited Professional on every one of our project teams.

LEED certification of a building provides independent, third-party verification that a building meets the highest performance standards of green building. The Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary has been submitted for review to the USGBC for Platinum certification. Few buildings in the world have achieved this prestigious designation.

The renovations and new construction to the Wildlife Sanctuary included a new auditorium, offices and a classroom building. The design demanded the skilled workmanship necessary to construct many complex angles and curves of the structure and hardscape. Another feature was the electronically controlled window system with programmable remotes that work in tandem with the ceiling fans to cool the building without using air conditioning. The air temperature was so comfortable, visitors actually questioned whether conventional AC had been installed!

Some of the other noteworthy environmentally friendly features are:

• Passive solar technology
• Composting Foam Flush Toilets
• A Grey water treatment system
• Use of natural daylight
• Widespread use of rapidly renewable building materials
• Use of lumber from FSC certified, managed forests
• Photovoltaic panels convert solar power into electricity producing approximately 30% of the building’s electricity
• Photovoltaic panels are also used to heat the building’s hot water system
• Windows and insulation with high R values
• Use of low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, adhesives, sealants, and carpeting
• A rainwater collection system is used for the watering of plants in place of expending potable water
• Locally manufactured and harvested materials were sought out.

Finally, over 90% of the construction waste from this project was diverted from a landfill and recycled.

Additional Information

Architect: Architectural Design Incorporated
Owner: Massachusetts Audubon Society, Inc.
Location: Wellfleet, MA
Value: $2.3M