Fat Spaniel Technologies, a San Jose, Calif.-based provider of critical information services for distributed renewable energy systems, has announced plans to provide a Web-based energy and weather monitoring system for the new Queens Botanical Garden Visitor & Administration Center in New York.
The new 15,830 square-foot center, powered by geothermal and solar energy, is among the first buildings in New York State designed to achieve the highest national standard for sustainability: the platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Fat Spaniel display will illustrate Queens Botanical Garden's energy efficiency and green building efforts, which include motion-activated lights, efficient ventilation, a waste-reducing graywater system and a multifunctional green roof, Fat Spaniel says.
In addition, the educational displays will employ imagery to educate visitors about the broader sustainability issues relating to the Garden such as the urban heat island effect, native plant species, sustainable wood and construction materials, and construction waste management.
‘We're pleased to help the Garden showcase its innovative technologies by transforming green building data and supporting information into a visual format providing a deeply engaging experience for visitors,’ says Chris Beekhuis, president and chief technology officer of Fat Spaniel Technologies. ‘The Fat Spaniel design team worked with Queens Botanical Garden to develop a series of lush, dynamic and informative Web views that make the educational component of the center as compelling as the sustainable design elements of the gardens themselves.’
