 The Navy Yard at Noisette, located in North Charleston, South Carolina, is a residential, industrial, commercial and recreational area that is being transformed into a sustainable community. The Navy Yard originally acted as a dry-dock when it opened in 1909, and served as a ship production plant through World War II. Now, it is an urban hub filled with sustainable homes, restaurants, and offices.
Though once more urban, EnviroCitizen.org has learned that the natural habitat of the area has been restored, and parks are woven into the urban fabric with an aim to enable individuals to retie their bonds with the natural world. The buildings found in The Navy Yard have all been renovated to be as eco-friendly as possible. One of the buildings, 10 Storehouse Row, has many green features. TO conserve energy, only individual offices are air conditioned and heated. During the day, only sunlight lights the building. Sustainable wood products and zero volatile organic compound (VOC) paints and finishes were used during construction. The Navy Yard boasts their success with 10 Storehouse Row, noting that by renovating the building instead of demolishing and reconstructing, they prevented tons of materials from ending up in a landfill.
Storehouse 7, another eco-friendly building in The Navy Yard, was built in 1905 and was initially used to trans-ship equipment and munitions. Now, it boasts one of the first United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications for commercial interior projects. It has an open floor plan to take advantage of natural lighting and is equipped with Energy Star appliances. Half of the high-efficiency lighting fixtures are directed toward the white ceiling to maximize indirect light. The furniture is even sustainable, having been created using recycled and recyclable materials. The cabinetry was constructed using Woodstalk (also known as wheatboard), which is manufactured with wheat stalks. The carpet has a high recycled content and was designed so that it resembles a forest floor. Like 10 Storehouse Row, Storehouse 7 was finished with no-VOC paints and recycled sheetrock. The exterior space of Storehouse 7 is landscaped with native plants to reduce water needs. As a final touch, Storehouse 7 offers a composting and recycling center as well as an edible garden.
Arguably, The Navy Yard at Noisette has more eco-friendly features than the average community in our country. Every structure, whether a home, office or store, has been created with sustainability in mind. The Navy Yard is one of the fantastic examples that EnviroCitizen.org has come across which shows how a community can grow and thrive on sustainable principles.
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