This new education center and greenhouse enhance learning opportunities related to sustainability and garden stewardship within a nationally-respected and locally-beloved botanical gardens. Focusing on low impact to the watershed, the project contributes to the client’s goal of becoming internationally recognized as a leader in environmental education. The new buildings complement the existing campus’s Prairie School style architecture with low visual impact to gardens.
The design features a 60,000-gallon underground cistern beneath the learning center that captures rainwater to provide 75% of the water needed for the greenhouse, eliminating the need for a stormwater retention pond on site. The new, highly-efficient smart greenhouse features a hydronic radiant heating system, misting system for localized cooling, automated roof vents, and BAS control. Certified LEED-NC v.3 Platinum and designed to use 61% less energy than the baseline, the learning center features a hydronic radiant floor system and a PV solar array on the roof.
USGBC West North Central Region Leadership Award
ACEC Minnesota Engineering Excellence Honor Award
ABC Wisconsin Project of Distinction Silver Award in Public Works/Environmental Category
Client
City of Madison
Location
Madison, WI
Project Type
Nature Center | Educational Environment | Cultural Space | Government Facility
Size
20,100 SF for learning center and greenhouse
Certifications
Certified LEED-NC v.3 Platinum
Role
Architect | Interior Designer
Status
Complete
Well-Being
100% daylit with natural ventilation and wood used as primary material
Energy
Net-zero energy with 61% reduction in EUI, 9 kW solar array, and 100% of building electricity and existing natural gas use offset by renewable energy credits
Water
Captures, filters, and stores rainwater for reuse in the greenhouse to meet 75% of its annual water demand
resources
Carpentry is sourced from Madison trees that had to be taken down due to the emerald ash bore infestation
The design facilitates the capture, treatment, storage, and reuse of rainwater in a 60,000-gallon cistern beneath the learning center. The outdoor classroom roof directs rainwater to a linear waterfall guided by multiple rain chains into an above-ground, visible catchment basin, creating an engaging experiential learning opportunity.
The project also features a roof-mounted PV array intentionally integrated into the rhythm of the project’s exterior and visible from the center of the botanical gardens.
The design team selected healthy, natural materials throughout, including exposed wooden glulams and a slatted wood ceiling to create a compelling, natural atmosphere on the first floor and Xorel, a biobased high-performance interior fabric, on the classroom’s operable walls.
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