The Nassau County Department of Public Works together with the Friends of Hempstead Plains at Nassau Community College selected RGR Landscape to develop the design and construction documents for the new Hempstead Plains Interpretive Center. The 19-acre project site is one of the few remnants of a true prairie ecosystem that once covered large areas of Long Island and is home to several rare and endangered species of plants and animals. The building and site design emphasized sustainable practices and green technology allowing it to be selected as a pilot project for the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) by the Green Business Certification Institute. To minimize the use of new materials, RGR modified used cargo containers to provide the basic enclosure and structural system for the visitor center. RGR’s design for the new structure also incorporated passive solar techniques for cooling, a green roof with prairie grasses for insulation as well as to absorb rainwater, and photovoltaic panels to harvest solar energy for electricity.
