The new Urban Ecology Center facility is an accessible role model for other institutions seeking to incorporate sustainable principles into their own construction projects. It was completed on a scale and within a budget that can be achieved by using practical, repeatable design ideas and techniques.

Located on a tight city lot, the most significant issue was designing the building’s solar orientation for maximum benefit while creating pedestrian-scaled connections to the street entrance, the adjacent park, and the city bike path.

One of the things that really works well with the new facility is its connection to the outdoors. From a social and programmatic view, the ability to connect to a variety of outdoor spaces is very important. Schoolchildren use the balconies, tower, roof garden, and other outdoor spaces for classes or spontaneous discussion, and many of the typical barriers to connecting with the outdoors have been greatly diminished.