A major renovation to the concession building and restaurant at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial recently received LEED Platinum certification for sustainable design. West Plains Engineering provided electrical engineering design for elements of the project, which is the first building to achieve LEED O&M (Operation’s & Maintenance) Platinum in South Dakota or in a US National Park unit. In fact, it is only one of 45 projects in the United States to have earned the accreditation.
Some of the upgrades and initiatives that contributed to the certification included installing all new LED lighting that minimizes energy use and light pollution, upgrading heating and cooling systems, generating over 50% of the concession building electricity through a new solar array, diverting over 50% of waste from the landfill, replacing cleaners with green alternatives and installing a rooftop vegetable greenhouse.
Congratulations to the concession owner, Xanterra Travel Collection, and the entire design team on this monumental achievement!