From more than 2,500 nominated projects, Outdoor Chattanooga Center has been selected as a Green Building of America Award-winning project and will be featured in the upcoming special Real Estate & Construction Review-Southeast Green Success Stories edition. Each Green Building of America Success Story project is highlighted in a case study that intertwines the words of the project’s owner/developer, consultants, architects and contractors to explain how the teams worked together to design and build one of the region’s most important, innovative or unique new or renovated sustainable facilities.

The Outdoor Chattanooga Center was a vacant CMU block building located along the Tennessee River and adjacent to Coolidge Park – a popular outdoor destination. The original block shell and concrete floor, along with the existing steel bar joists were salvaged and re-used. Utilizing the existing structure, the new design created a clerestory with wood trusses that allows the space to be lit by daylight even on overcast days. The sloped roof collects rainwater to a cistern used to flush toilets, while the flat roof is covered with a green-roof system. The use of garage doors and operable windows allow outside activities in and maintain the connection between the center’s administrative functions and the outside. Recycled, renewable and local materials were used throughout the project. The 6,000 square foot facility was designed with the goal of LEED Silver Certification.


The Real Estate & Construction Review has been published by Construction Communications since 1999. Each edition is published annually and features the region’s top projects as determined by their editorial board. The publication is read and referenced by leaders within the region’s local governments, economic development groups, financial institutions, owners, architects and contractors.