Nature is essential in unlocking many of the secrets of smart design. The Building and Learning Center at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, Calif., (ENC) is a building that wears its sustainability like a neatly tailored outfit. The client, a non-profit education center, and the design firm, Irvine-based LPA Inc., note the pride and confidence that the net zero building has given its community; without moving an inch, the ENC has gone off the grid.

“Everything about the building and learning center is shaped by sustainability and efficiency,” explains LPA president, Dan Heinfeld. “This building could have only happened at this site, and that makes it beautiful and timeless.”

The outdoor event deck surrounds an existing fire pit, creating an intimate, fireside amphitheater. The Butterfly Garden is pictured on the left. Photo by Costea Photography, Inc.

Since the ENC’s beginnings in 1971, it has utilized makeshift buildings and trailers to accommodate its classroom and gallery. These days, the building consists of a new classroom, gallery, and office space that showcase smart, sustainable design practices and strategies to teachers, students and the public.

Notably, the new Building and Learning Center at the ENC is on track to become the first LEED Platinum building in Orange County, an honor shared by only 10 other buildings in the state of California, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

Integrated Approach, Sustainable Lessons

The operable windows and venting systems at the ENC keep the building cool in the summer with natural, ocean breezes thereby eliminating the need for air conditioning. Composite woods made from sawdust and natural resins are used as the exterior skin. Photo by Costea Photography, Inc.

By using a holistic, integrated design approach in which architects, interior designers, landscape architects and engineers work together from the outset, LPA was able to create an outcome that was unified and sustainable from the ground up.

“The ENC provides the community with natural science and social science education programs, preserved open space, and a sanctuary from the pressures of everyday life,” describes ENC executive director, Bo Glover. “Even the entry desk is educational, modeling the geologic layers of Orange County, which include a seismic fault and embedded fossils.”

The Building and Learning Center sits on a 3.5-acre natural preserve that features 15 native Southern California plant communities, wildlife habitats, walking trails and a butterfly garden. Guests learn how to implement sustainable features in their lives while the museum’s displays illustrate California’s biodiversity.

The lobby at the ENC welcomes visitors and provides orientation. Leaving natural woods unfinished helped keep costs down and eliminated the need for stains and paints. Photo by Costea Photography, Inc.

This non-profit preserve is recognized as the premier nature center in Southern California and welcomed more than 16,000 students last year alone. The students participate in hands-on classes at the ENC’s indoor-outdoor education environment.

“A lot of kids these days have ‘nature deficit disorder,’” comments Glover. “Instead of taking kids to soccer or piano lessons, parents bring their children here for ‘nature’ lessons.”

Glover wanted the sustainable elements incorporated throughout the learning center to demonstrate to students and visitors that green design is the wave of the future. “LPA understood that we were in need of a building to complement our commitment to natural science education,” says Glover. Mission accomplished.

The new Building and Learning Center is used as a teaching tool that helps students grasp and learn about the elements and processes involved with sustainable design. In fact, the entire project communicates stewardship and respect for resources and the natural environment. ENC Design Principal Rick D’Amato designed the building with a reason and a purpose.

“Everything you see has a sustainable story,” explains D’Amato. “We coupled sustainable technologies with authentic architecture to create a place that welcomes guests and educates them about the benefits of environmentally conscious design.”

Showcasing Sustainable Design

Dimming systems at the ENC turn off lights when there is enough natural light to adequately light the internal spaces. Recycled materials and finishes were used for the furnishing and finishing of workstations.Photo by Costea Photography, Inc.

Sustainable features at the 9,000-square-foot Building and Learning Center include: optimized building orientation; bicycle storage and shower facilities; drought tolerant, indigenous landscaping; fixtures that promote water conservation — such as waterless urinals and low-flow faucets; efficient stormwater management and daylight harvesting.

“Guests enjoy natural ventilation without the use of heating and/or air conditioning, dimming systems and occupancy sensors, an aggressive sustainable education program, heat island reduction, and green housekeeping techniques and products,” D’Amato adds.

The extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials includes: insulation made of recycled blue jeans; natural linoleum for countertops — 100 percent organic and recyclable; composite wood for exterior skin made from sawdust and natural resin; pressed organic materials for millwork and shelving units; natural concrete; carpet tiles with high recycled content; and recycled fabrics/finishes for furnishings and work stations.

As previously mentioned, the building uses photovoltaic roof panels to convert light into power and provide for 95 percent of the building’s electrical needs. This feature will save the ENC more than $20,000 annually.

“The rising cost of energy is a reality from here on out,” says D’Amato. “At the ENC, we naturally ventilated the building to take the HVAC load off the power grid. This allowed us to provide a smaller array of Photovoltaic (PV) panels, which currently provides enough energy for the needs of the building.”

For more than 35 years, the ENC has endeavored to provide visitors with a quality education through hands-on experienceswith nature. Its mission is rooted in the belief that every time a visitor enters the site, there is an opportunity to increase their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

In addition to children’s classes, the ENC offers a “Green Lecture Series” in which sustainable building and living experts provide informative presentations to the public. Lectures such as “Going Solar” and “Making Compost Happen” are available during the upcoming months.

This building showcases efficient sustainability and demonstrates that any building can be green, cost-effective and beautiful. More importantly, it is a shining light in the community about the importance of ongoing education, the natural environment and its significance in our lives.

Sidebar: Environmental Nature Center

Size: 9,000 square feet

Location: Newport Beach, Calif.

Completed: January 2008

Certification: LEED Platinum pending


Sustainable Materials at the Environmental Nature Center

Trex – At exterior building siding. Made from sawdust and natural resins.

Linoleum (by Marmoleum) – At countertops. Linoleum is produced from renewable materials: linseed oil, rosins, wood flour, jute and ecologically responsible pigments.

Avonite – At countertops. Made from recycled solid surfacing materials.

Bobrick Sierra Series Toilet Partitions – Made from recycled organic materials and resins.

Biofiber Wheatboard – At millwork and shelving units. Created from wheat straw, a rapidly renewable agricultural resource.

Paperstone – At lobby desk millwork. Made from post-consumer recycled paper and a proprietary, petroleum-free resin.

Sierrapine Medite II – At millwork. Made from post-consumer recycled wood waste.

Ultra Touch Insulation – At wall cavities. Created from a rapidly renewable agricultural resource and recycled materials, cotton and recycled blue jeans.

Shaw Eco Solution Carpet and Eco Worx Backing – Made with recycled nylon content, and is 100 percent recyclable.

Dal Tile Natural Hues – At restroom walls. Made from recycled ceramic tile materials.

Sealed Natural Concrete Floors – This eliminates extra building materials and floor coverings.

Exposed Structural Roof Framing – This eliminates extra ceiling materials.