Sedum flowering in engineered soil

 Outside 

Virtual Tour (requires media player)

Educational Tour (requires media player)

Green Terrace Handout (PDF)

Construction Photos (PDF)

The 4400-square-foot cement patio area adjacent to the NIH Library in Building 10 has been transformed into a verdant, eco-friendly, garden terrace.

The NIH Library Green Terrace is an extension of the newly redesigned NIH Library facility and serves as an outdoor green garden oasis for NIH staff and visitors. The Green Terrace environment provides a natural, relaxing setting for individuals and groups to retreat, read, reflect, and rejuvenate.

A new entrance from the physical library to the Green Terrace has been installed to allow library patrons easy access to both environments.

Green Roof and Plantings

The NIH Library Green Terrace showcases several garden areas which are rooted in engineered soil. Some of the garden areas are drought tolerant, while others are designed for more traditional perennial gardens including an annual zone that features several types of tropical plants currently being researched at NIH for their medicinal values.

The walls surrounding the Green Terrace will be softened with several species of vines cascading from roof areas above or twined up on mounted trellises. The combination of garden surfaces and covered walls will help reduce the extreme temperatures in the summer. Green Terrace visitors may enjoy the eating nooks and bench seating under the shade canopies and along the garden walls.

Solar Energy

Several sustainable features beyond the vegetated roof surfaces are also incorporated into the Green Terrace design. Solar panels supplement the project's energy use powering the terrace lighting and irrigation pumps. The solar panels are mounted on the roof just south of the terrace.

Storm Water Management

Rain will be stored on site in a 1200 gallon cistern and recycled to irrigate the gardens and reduce the flow to and from the municipal water supply and storm systems. This feature, in combination with the vegetated roof areas, offers important reductions in storm water runoff from the NIH campus, ultimately supporting water quality improvement and conservation goals for the broader Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Furniture

The new tables and chairs are made of wood from sustainable forests. The older benches were repaired and refurbished to match the new ones.

Inside

The 8000-square-foot Reading Room has several new features and green initiatives. It offers a comfortable place to study, work, or read with natural sunlight coming from large windows. A new Self-Service Checkout station allows you to take library materials from the library onto the Green Terrace.  

Window Shades

The shades have GreenGuard certification. They are made of a fabric with low emission material. The fabric allows natural light to come through but reduces the heat transfer from the sun.

Training Room

The Reading Room has a new Training Room and Media Room. The company that constructed the walls received the Excellence in Partnership Award for Industry Green Contractor from the US. Coalition for Government Procurement and GSA Members. Plus, it is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and promotes LEED certification. Some examples of their green footprint are the way they ship products in large reusable “cookie” trays and the recycled content of their materials.

The ceiling of the rooms is made of bamboo tiles from a different company.

Study Carrels

Instead of buying some new carrels with electrical outlets for laptop computers and other devices, the library decided to update the old carrels by installing new outlets.

Lighting

The light bulbs in the ceiling were replaced with high efficiency fluorescent bulbs.

Carpet
The recycled content of the carpet was certified by Scientific Certification Systems.   

Green Team at the NIHL
The team has been very active with recycling materials and saving energy.

The NIH Library is completing the process for LEED certification.

For more information please contact a member of the NIH Library Facility Team: