Vancouver, Washington


"The Power to NET ZERO"  Vancouver Business Journal


Tweet

As a field-trip destination for more than 10,000 SW Washington students a year, this new facility for the Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center is designed to promote environmental stewardship and the environmental sciences by immersing kids in this spectacular setting. The owner’s goals focus on demonstrating and fostering the unique characteristics of this site, and inspiring visitors to recognize and care for the environment. Although not a ‘drop-in’ interpretive facility, it is important that the design of the facility reinforce and contribute to Columbia Springs’ educational goals and programs.

The design consists of two structures located along the south edge of West Biddle Lake. ‘Building One’ is located nearest the lake edge, with a deck that extends out over the lake and a series of gangways/ floating docks/ net pens on the lake itself. ‘Building Two’ is further east and is set back from the lake to protect existing vegetation. Both structures consist of two distinct assemblies/ structural system. Lab spaces are wood-framed asymmetrical gables with concrete shear panels and skylights at the ridge. Support spaces are partially below-grade with concrete retaining/ shear walls, steel superstructure, and low-slope ‘wet-roofs’ continually irrigated with excess water from the fish research tanks. Exposed concrete is board-formed with rough-sawn lumber salvaged/ milled from trees removed for this development. Exterior siding is cedar, also salvaged/ milled from on-site trees. Oversized fully-glazed overhead doors and operable windows provide opportunities to open interior spaces to the outdoors and enhance natural ventilation. This project is ideally situated to accomplish the goal of net-zero energy and carbon emissions. Aggressive conservation measures coupled with the site’s namesake spring’s have provided an ideal opportunity to achieve what few if any similar projects have been able to.

The development of the site is closely integrated with the design of the facility and is integral to Columbia Springs’ educational programs. A new bus drop-off/ parking area sits over an expanded wetland below the existing dam. Here a new dam crossing extends to the north bank, providing an accessible route to a new viewpoint, an “Accessible Beach” to provide wheel chair access to gather water samples, the existing hatchery building, and existing parking lot. A series of stone seat-walls (Camas Basalt veneer, salvaged and split on-site) serpentine to the building’s entry, providing a series of vantage and gathering nodes. Low-impact (accessible) trails extend around the building and connect to the existing trail system east of the project. Between the two buildings sits a covered seating area set down nearer lake elevation, an elevated ‘shadow hatchery’ raceway with view-windows, work space/ research tanks including a large work yard, outdoor sinks, a covered breezeway partially connecting the two structures, and outdoor gear storage/ seating walls and benches.

The Colubmia Springs Environmental Education Center was designed in association with LSW Architects.

© 2013 - The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP