Natural ventilation reduces the energy demand at Minnewaska State Park Preserve Visitors Center
In October 2020, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the opening of a new visitor center at the Minnewaska State Park Preserve. In a public-private partnership with the Open Space Institute, the goal was to create a modern facility that would coexist with and highlight the park’s natural environment while reducing environmental impact. The Visitor Center will welcome visitors to the 24,000-Acre Preserve as well as offer educational exhibits about the park and house its caretakers. The goal of the building’s design was to create a dynamic environment that can evolve over time and will frame visitors’ experience of the outdoors.
Visit a reference projectNatural ventilation for a highly sustainable center
Natural ventilation is among the several sustainable strategies present in the building. An automated natural ventilation solution from WindowMaster was chosen to regulate the temperature and optimize the indoor air quality. The benefits of this is the reduced energy demand offered by this solution and therefore reduced carbon emissions. The center also features bird-friendly glass, a rain garden for stormwater management, and passive solar design to keep the building warm in the winter.
Wood windows and window automation
WindowMaster supplied the actuators that were then concealed in the wooden windows from Bildau & Bussman. To control their automation, the center has a KNX-based NV Comfort system that opens and closes the windows based on indoor temperature and CO2 levels, as well as the external conditions.
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