Atlanta, Georgia (July 17, 2018)—The Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation & Aquatic Center, a design-build by Winter Johnson FS360, has earned the coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating from the United States Green Building Council. The project also received an Award of Excellence from the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. LEED status requires not only energy-efficient design, but also low-impact construction practices that reduce waste and depend on local sources for building materials. LEED Gold is one of the highest sustainability ratings.

Winter Johnson FS360 built the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation & Aquatic Center for the City of Atlanta, which is known for its sustainability initiatives. Atlanta passed an ordinance in 2003 requiring all new city construction and major renovations to be LEED certified. The City later passed an energy usage benchmarking and disclosure policy for commercial building, which aims to reduce commercial energy consumption in the city by 20 percent by the year 2030.

Winter Johnson FS360 is a joint venture of Winter Construction, Johnson Construction Services and FS360. Brent Reid, CEO of Winter, said, “We are proud to be part of this project that is important to so many people in Atlanta and to the city’s history. This public facility reflects the sustainability values of the community.”

According to Carrie Campbell, director of operations for Winter Johnson FS360, the Recreation & Aquatic Center was originally designed to achieve a LEED Silver rating. “Winter Johnson FS360 and its design team and the Epsten Group, who served as LEED consultant, set a goal at the start of the project to obtain a Gold rating by seeking every opportunity to design and build sustainably.”

The new Recreation & Aquatic Center’s green features include:

  • Location accessible by multiple forms of public transit
  • Ample natural light
  • Indoor air filtration and control of contaminants
  • Runoff reduction practices such as stormwater detention, a rain garden, and pervious pavers
  • Low-flow plumbing fixtures
  • Local and recycled materials

The Atlanta Urban Design Commission awarded the project the Award of Excellence in the category of Interior Design of Public Space. The Commission’s awards “honor those projects that have significantly contributed toward the enhancement of the city of Atlanta’s built environment, the preservation of our physical heritage and the sympathetic balance between the old and the new.”

The architecture firms KAI Design & Build and Perkins + Will designed the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation & Aquatic Center.

The new Recreation & Aquatic Center offers state-of-the-art recreation facilities. Its features include:

  • A zero-entry, family-fun pool with play equipment features and a distinct area with lap-swimming lanes
  • A basketball gymnasium with six goals and flexibility for other hard-court sports
  • An elevated running/walking track overlooking the gymnasium and pool
  • A climbing wall
  • An outdoor terrace
  • Multiple community and meeting rooms
  • A senior center
  • Group fitness areas
  • A computer room

The new Recreation and Aquatic Center is located adjacent to the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District, and its façade features a monumental portrait of Dr. King.

For more inforamtion, visit winterjohnsongroup.com.