Skip to main content

Park Service Hopes New Office will be 1st LEED-Certified Floating Building in the World

Support Provided By
NPS Photo / Andrew S. Muñoz

The next time you're in Nevada at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and are renting a boat or houseboat, you might be filling out paperwork inside the world's first eco-friendly floating building. A new operations structure was dedicated today as paperwork to register it for LEED certification was sent out.

Located south of the Hoover Dam on Lake Mohave, the floating building will be used by Forever Resorts, a park vendor, as an operations office at the Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is a certification offered by the U.S. Green Building Council to provide a framework for green buildings, from design to construction to maintenance. For example, rice hulls and recycled plastic make up the decking, and recycled tires are used as the structure's exterior stucco. National Park Service officials will have to wait a couple of months to find out if their building will earn a certification, but they're hoping for a gold ranking, the second highest honor.

Whatever the outcome, it could inspire future building designs. "We're setting the standard for eco-friendly floating buildings," said Superintendent Bill Dickinson. "There's no better place than in a national park to do that."

Near Las Vegas, Lake Mead National Recreation Area is the fifth most-visited National Park unit in the system, hosting some 7 million people each year. It covers 1.5 million acres, which includes Lake Mead and Mojave, and portions of the Colorado River.

Say hello: "Like" SoCal Wanderer on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to talk about latest in outdoors with other enthusiasts.

Support Provided By
Read More
In “Obet and Del’s: The Coffee Shop Changing the Game in Hollywood” host Rosey Alvero sits down to talk with coffee shop owner Heather Knox.

Sip, Snack and Stroll Your Way Through Thai Town and East Hollywood (But First, Coffee)

Explore Thai Town and East Hollywood with all of its delicious, boozy and vintage offerings. But before you start wandering, charge up with a coffee from Obet & Del's, a neighborhood coffee haven serving up café drinks inspired by Southeast Asian culture.
In "The Tree Yoga Cooperative: Find Wellness in South LA" host Rosey Alvero takes a yoga class.

Find Flow, Practice Mindfulness and Engage in Self-Care at These South L.A. Hidden Gems

The Tree Yoga Collective is providing a self-care resource to its South Los Angeles community with a focus on equitable access to mindfulness, meditation, and flow. Here are some other South L.A. hidden gems for fostering inner peace, too — including a healthy dose of nature, plant-based cuisine and caffeine.
In "Babes of Wellness: Working Out for Health and Community in Compton" host Rosey Alvero lifts weights in the gym's "Swole Babes" class.

Get 'Swole' at Babes of Wellness, Plus Other Ways to Nourish Your Mind and Body in Compton

SoCal Wanderer host Rosey Alvero takes you to Babes of Wellness, an inclusive gym for women in Compton — where you can discover other ways of finding strength and power by feeding your body and mind.