Sustainable Design Blog

April 10, 2013 – Sarasota, FL – The Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina on Lake Mohave made history this month by achieving LEED-NC LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the world’s first LEED certified floating green building. This eco-friendly marina, located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area just outside of Las Vegas, was designed by Florida’s premier green design team, Carlson Studio Architecture (CSA). CSA, based in Sarasota, was selected for this unique project because of its diverse sustainable design experience.  The project, spearheaded by the National Park Service and Forever Resorts, LLC, serves as the marina’s operations office, and is literally floating ON Lake Mohave.  This project marks the 12^th LEED certified project the firm has been responsible for. 

“Using a team approach and the integrated design process, we were able to seamlessly incorporate environmentally friendly features throughout the project,” explained Project Architect Michael R. Carlson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. “A committed ownership group, a skilled design team and conscientious contractor makes projects like this especially rewarding.”

The floating eco-friendly structure features sustainable modular construction and state-of-the-art energy-efficient and environmentally responsible materials and fixtures. The modular wall and roof system is constructed of Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) designed to lessen the amount of construction waste, improve the insulation value of the building and provide a tighter envelope than traditional construction. The SIPs also lowered the overall weight of the building, decreasing the load on the floating foundation system. Decking is made of a composite of rice hulls and recycled plastic, and the exterior stucco contains recycled tire particles. Use of low or no volatile organic compound materials, paints and adhesives will rid the building of the typical “new building” smell, improving the overall indoor air quality.

The project’s key green building design features include:

• Extensive energy saving materials and systems, including high-performance insulated glass
• High-efficient HVAC equipment

Extensive use of recycled and regionally extracted and/or manufactured materials, such as steel, drywall, metal studs, carpet, etc.

The Cottonwood Cove Marina on Lake Mohave is registered for LEED Gold certification with the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the world’s first floating green building. This eco-friendly marina, located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area just outside of Las Vegas, was designed by Florida’s premier green design team Carlson Studio Architecture (CSA). CSA, based in Sarasota, was selected for this unique project because of its diverse sustainable design experience including eight previous LEED Certified projects.

“Every building type has the potential to perform at a higher level with integrated environmental design considerations,” explained Project Architect Michael R. Carlson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. “We jumped at the chance to work with this team to design a first-of-its-kind, first-class marine facility.”

The National Park Service and Forever Resorts, LLC, who will manage the marina operations at the park, conducted a dedication ceremony on June 6 at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area’s Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina on Lake Mohave.

“All of us involved on this project are pioneers,” said Rex Maughan, Chairman and President of Forever Resorts. “We are very proud of this project, especially Michael Carlson and the exceptional vision he had in designing this building and this whole project.”

The floating eco-friendly structure features sustainable modular construction and state-of-the-art energy-efficient and environmentally responsible materials and fixtures. The modular wall and roof system is constructed of Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) designed to lessen the amount of construction waste, improve the insulation value of the building and provide a tighter envelope than traditional construction. The SIPs also lowered the overall weight of the building, decreasing the load on the floating foundation system. Decking is made of a composite of rice hulls and recycled plastic, and the exterior stucco contains recycled tire particles. Use of low or no volatile organic compound materials, paints and adhesives will rid the building of the typical “new building” smell, improving the overall indoor air quality.

The project’s key green building design features include:

• Extensive energy saving materials and systems, including high-performance insulated glass
• High-efficient HVAC equipment and delivery systems
• Extensive use of recycled and regionally extracted and/or manufactured materials, such as steel, drywall, metal studs, carpet, etc.
• Finish materials, paints, adhesives caulks and sealants that contain low or no volatile organic compounds to ensure healthy indoor air quality
• Clerestory windows that provide natural daylight and views to the outdoors
• Operable high/low windows provide natural ventilation, lowering the dependence on air conditioning
• The standing seam metal “cool” roof lowers heat gain by reflecting the solar energy, and allows for future installation of PV electrical panels
• Recycled and recyclable building and landscape materials
• Prevention of night sky light pollution

Lake Mead National Recreation Area is the fifth most visited national park in the country and is located adjacent to Las Vegas. Its 1.5 million acres, which include Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, hosts more than 7 million visitors each year. (http://www.nps.gov/lakemead)

Forever Resorts, LLC is an authorized concessionaire of the National Park Service that focuses on properties with access to nature and one-of-a-kind surroundings for vacations. (http://www.foreverresorts.com and http://www.foreverearth.net)

Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina is located 90 minutes from Las Vegas and offers lakeside accommodations, boat rentals, the Cottonwood Cove Café and a full-service RV park. It is situated on Lake Mohave. (http://www.cottonwoodcoveresort.com)

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. (http://www.usgbc.org)

SEARCHLIGHT, NEV. (May 2011) – The National Park Service and Forever Resorts, LLC are dedicating the first floating building project in the world to be registered for LEED® certification on Monday, June 6, at 1 p.m. at Lake Mead National Recreation Area’s Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina on Lake Mohave.  The building, which will serve as the marina’s operations office, is expected to be certified at the LEED® Gold rating.

“It was a visionary team made up of private industry and government led by our partner Forever Resorts that transformed this idea into action,” said Superintendent Bill Dickinson. “We’re setting the standard for eco-friendly floating buildings. There’s no better place than in a national park to do that.”

“Forever Resorts is dedicated to conservation and environmentally sustainable practices, and we couldn’t be more excited to make history by developing a building that embraces the eco-friendly principles we support,” said John Schoppmann, executive vice president, Forever Resorts. “We will use this building not only to welcome our customers, but also to educate them about sustainable building practices.”

Carlson Studio Architecture, based in Sarasota, FL, was selected to resolve the unique challenge of designing a floating green building based upon their diverse sustainable design leadership.  “Every building type has the potential to perform at a higher level with integrated environmental considerations,” explained Project Architect Michael R. Carlson, AIA, LEED AP. “We jumped at the chance to work with this team to design a first-of-its-kind, first-class marine facility.”

Lake Mead National Recreation Area is the fifth most visited national park in the country and is located adjacent to Las Vegas, the nation’s top tourist destination. Its 1.5 million acres, which includes Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, hosts over 7 million visitors each year. The park offers an unparalleled variety of outdoor experiences, a surprising contrast that complements a Las Vegas or Laughlin, Nev visit. (http://www.nps.gov/lakemead)

Forever Resorts, LLC is an authorized concessionaire of the National Park Service dedicated to providing a collection of destinations that provide hospitality services throughout the world. Forever Resorts focuses on properties with access to nature and one-of-a-kind surroundings for vacations. (http://www.foreverresorts.com and http://www.foreverearth.net)

Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina is located 90 minutes from Las Vegas and offers lakeside accommodations, houseboat and powerboat rentals, the Cottonwood Cove Cafe and a full-service RV park. It is situated on beautiful Lake Mohave, part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which features miles of unspoiled shoreline, plenty of secluded, sandy beaches, crystal-clear water and consistently high lake levels (http://www.cottonwoodcoveresort.com).