The Bronx Zoo's Lion House was dubbed a Historic District because of its gracious Beau-Arts style and striking 1903 architectural features, but since the settings in zoos have become more naturalistic, the grand old Lion House has long sat unused. Now, thanks to the vision of the Wildlife Conservation Society (plus $62 million dollars and six years), it is busy, vital, and the city's first LEED-certified Gold-landmarked structure.

The grand exterior was untouched, but with construction that included major gutting and excavating, the building now features a waterfall, pool, two-story cliffs, caves, fish, lemurs, crocodiles and a baobab tree with Madagascan hissing cockroaches — as well as meeting rooms for humans. Recycled steel, stone, concrete, low-VOC materials and harvested woods were utilized throughout the structure. A natural fuel cell, cogeneration plant and heat loop system is so efficient that it occasionally feeds power back into the grid. As for water, the made-over Lion House boasts a 59 percent savings in consumption, and a 30 percent reduction in waste.

As the CEO of WCS says, "We can't be a leader in global conservation if we don't also live it at home."

Questions can be sent to Jim Parks at jrparks@mac.com. To find out more about Jim Parks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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