Dozens of lemurs have new homes in two new facilities at the Duke Lemur Center in Raleigh, N.C. The Releasable Building connects to a 69-acre fenced forest for free-ranging lemurs, while the Semi-Releasable Building is for lemurs with limited-range privileges. Atlanta architect Lord, Aeck & Sargent designed the buildings with central common areas and labs to make it easier for caretakers and researchers to observe and care for their 140 charges. Separate wings contain lemur-housing modules with lots of doors, enabling the caretakers to reconfigure the layouts or to allow the primates access to the outdoors. Glass blocks at random intervals create the dappled light common to the lemurs’ native Madagascar rainforests. Both buildings seek LEED certification.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
BIM school, green school: California's newest high-performance school
Nestled deep in the Napa Valley, the city of American Canyon is one of a number of new communities in Northern California that have experienced tremendous growth in the last five years. Located 42 miles northeast of San Francisco, American Canyon had a population of just over 9,000 in 2000; by 2008, that figure stood at 15,276, with 28% of the population under age 18.