Cherokee Nation center employs eco-friendly features

Three new schools for K-12 students are the focus of a $108 million, 473,000-sf Cherokee Nation multipurpose complex based in Cherokee, N.C. Designed by Padgett & Freeman Architects and built by BE&K Building Group, the center was designed to reflect the art and heritage of the Cherokee people, evidenced by the seven-sided shape of the two courtyard areas and traditional basketweave patterns strewn throughout. The facility used a geothermal well and rainwater harvesting system to help gain LEED Silver status.