Steinihaus, center, Executive Director John Cronin, right, and Dutchess County Clerk Brad Kendall, on roof of Building One

Beacon -- Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus toured construction progress for Building One at The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries campus in the City of Beacon Thursday. A host of local officials joined in on the update tour.

Building One will serve as an education center and a welcoming facility for the institute campus at Denning's Point in Beacon.   It is currently slated for completion this summer.

“This is certain to be a sought after destination location for residents and visitors alike.   It is spectacular to see all of the carefully thought out details to this building from the original open and exposed trusses that have been beautifully preserved to the ingenious “green” roof that offers a magnificent view of the Hudson River.”

The tour was part of Dutchess County’s celebration of “Protecting the Environment Week” to highlight a true model of green building design.  Building One is being constructed with a commitment to energy-efficient systems, sustainability and green building technology.  Design elements include solar panels, composting toilets, a geothermal system that provides heating and cooling and wind towers on the roof to assist natural ventilation.        There will even be a "green roof" of indigenous plants that will both reuse storm water and slow the buildings' heat gain and loss.   Building One is anticipated to receive a LEED-Platinum certification – the highest certification - from the US Green Building Council.   It will be one of only a few buildings across the country to receive the platinum rating and perhaps the first adaptive reuse building to achieve it.