Pocono Environmental Education Center

Pocono Environmental Education Center Visitors Center

Zhen Tian (Ruby) Breanna Katsman Instructor: Nina Freedman

PEEC Visitors Center

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background Information……………..............................……………

Building Description…………………………………........................

Site Documentation …………………………………........................

Construction and Renovation………………………………..............

Materials…………………………………………………………………

LEED Certification ...…………………………………........................

Green Strategies…………………………………………………………

Main Structure……………………………………………………………

2D Drawings……………………………………………………………

Wall Section………………………………………………………………

Structure Details…………………………………………………………

Model Documentation …….……………………………………………

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PEEC Visitors Center

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PEEC Visitors Center

Background Information

Architect Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

• The firm was established in 1965.

• It has won over 600 awards.

• The works are in a range of scales.

• The firm is known for its elegant and human

Apple Store, Fifth Avenue New York, New York

Williams College, Stetson Hall, Sawyer Library Williamstown, Massachusetts

Combs Point Residence Finger Lakes, New York

Newport Beach Civic Center and Park Newport Beach, California

designs.

• The firm is interested in the particular human, technical, and economic circumstances.

• Energy efficiency has always been a priority for them.

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PEEC Visitors Center Building Description Building Type

Educational Building

Concept

The concept of the project is to design a building that is in harmony with the surrounding nature. Also, the project is to design a readable building to the public about sustainability and green design.

Project Goals

•The goal for this project is to make the green aspects visible to visitors so that the building is not just a space to learn but a learning tool itself.

•As a green design, the project tries to minimize disruptions on the environment as possible as well as little work needed to maintain the building.

•The project also serves to bring the community together and to share their love for the environment.

Building Location

Delaware Gap National Recreation Area Emery Road, Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania, 18328 United States

Program Square Footage/Budget/# of Stories 7,750 square feet/ $2,000,000/1

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PEEC Visitors Center Site Documnetation

Site Description • Latitude: 41º, Longitude: -75º, Elevation:778 ft.

• This building in part of a series of buildings associated with the Pocono Environmental Education Center.

• It’s used as a dining hall primarily, but as a meeting, learning, and lecturing space as well.

• The area around the site, besides what was cleared for the buildings, is mostly trees and small bodies of water. here are few roads that go to the site or are even near it.

• There are few roads that go to the site or are even near it.

Building and Trail Map

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PEEC Visitors Center Site Documentation City Description • Located in a plateau in the Pocono mountains, the cite resides within a 77,000 acre national park • To the east of Dingmans Ferry is the Hudson River which separates Pennsylvantia from New Jersey. Only two major highway run through the city, Routes 84 and 209.

• Besides the Pocono Environmental Education Center, there are only a few residential buildings in Dingmans Ferry, the rest of the land is covered in forest.

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PEEC Visitors Center

Construction and Renovation

Design Process • The project team worked with PEEC’s staffs, visitors and school children by asking them their definations of a green building which turned the design process into an opportunity to teach the community about sustainable designs.

• The design process focused on siting, materials selection, analysis, and design of building systems well as technical studies to validate and fine-tune the environmental strategies for the project.

PEEC is a residential environmental eduction center. It serves as a non-profit organization partnered with the Delaware Gap National Recreation Area. The mission for this organization is to advance environmental education, sustainable living, and appreciation for nature.

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PEEC Visitors Center

Construction and Renovation

Building Challenges

• The structure could not disrupt any habitats in that environment. Therefore,the project team did extensive research on the waterways, natural habitats, and local wildlife to determine the best way to construct the building.

• There are restricting times that the construction could be operated as not to disturb bats in the area.

• The final budget was unknown throughout the design process. In the end, only the main facility got built.

Flexible Design

• The design is adaptable that can be changed for future use.

• The resulting floor plan optimizes space efficiency and provides opportunities for future growth.

• The structure can be disassembled and taken apart so that extensions can be added on to it.

• The kitchen is designed to be able to be rearranged to accommodate potential expansions of the activity area.

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PEEC Visitors Center

Construction and Renovation

Bioclimatic Design •The long south face maximizes solar gain in winter months and the floor slab of the main space serves as a heat sink to store solar energy.

•The north side of the building, conversely, shields the building from winter winds.

•The tilted main roof maximizes solar radiation and light to the south and deflects north winds.

•The roof covering is light colored to minimize the heat island effect on the surrounding environment.

In the coldest months, radiant-heat floors augment the sun, cheaply maintaining enough heat for the building’s winter “hibernation,” when it’s completely shut down.

For the humid northeast summers, the building is cooled thermodynamically with low-set north windows, which draws cooler air from the adjacent, grass-planted rainwater collector. Wide overhangs block the most intense periods of sun. Warm air escapes out of high-set windows on the south side; this circulation is aided by ceiling fans on the hottest days.

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PEEC Visitors Center

Construction and Renovation

Sun Study and Bioclimatic Diagram

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PEEC Visitors Center Materials

Materials • All the materials used in the project are recyclable as they don’t compromise the materials performance at the same time.

• The materials do not disturb the natural environment.

• There are minimal materials used.

• The project team chose materials for their low maintenance.

• All the finishers for wood and stone are all solvent-free and water-based.

They do not harm the nature.

Glulam

• It is a glued, laminated timber • Glulam is stronger than steel and is also very durable.

• Glulam is often used in the frame work.

•It is able to be disassembled and changed out.

• It is able to be recycled and avoided using any wood products with urea-formaldehyde binder.

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Rubber Tire Shingles

• The project team recycled tires collected from local roadsides and rivers are painted with silicate mineral paint and cut into shingles • The shingles were hung from a cementboard siding on the north facing part of the building recycled, by collecting them they clean up the local environment • The shingles protect the building from harsh winds in the winter.

• The shingles require no maintenance.

PEEC Visitors Center Materials

Stressed-Skin-Panel Shed Roof

• The roof is made of insulated building panels filled with foam core sandwiched between two strand boards.

• The material is often used as the roofing panel.

• The tilted roof maximizes solar radiation/light and deflects north winds.

• The light color of panel helps roof reflect sunlight and reduces the heat island effect.

Concrete Wall / Beam / Floor

•Concrete used in this project is a combination of cement, calcined line and clay mixed with water and fly ash, recycled fire ash.

•Greenhouse emissions were reduced by replacing 30% of cement with fly ash floor slab acts as a storage for energy.

•It is used as a structural beam connecting the activity room with the storage area and walls for the storage area.

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High-Exhaust Windows

•The windows are made of glass.

•The large window on the south face surrounds the entire activity room and in certain areas in the tire cladded wall.

•Operable windows and sliding doors help with ventilation and connecting the occupants to the outdoors.

• The sloped main roof moves warm air in the space to the high exhaust windows, and the venturi effect aids in ventilation as wind moves over its top.

PEEC Visitors Center LEED

Pocono Environmental Education Center LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations (v2009)

The Project won 2008 AIA COTE Top Ten Green Project Award.

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PLATINUM

PEEC Visitors Center Green Strategies

The project including following green strategies: No Parking Lot

• The project does not include a space for parking so that they would’t have to cut down any trees near the site.

• Visitors have to walk to the building from the main center.

• 88% of the traffic to the building is by bus/car pooling.

Native Grass Planted

• The building site had been previously cleared by a former owner.

• Planting native grass integrates the architecture with its natural surroundings • Native grass is low maintenance / demand for irrigation.

• Native plants would not adversely affect local waterways or other ecosystems near the project site.

Local Material Collected

• There is no need for transportation of materials.

• The project is designed for disassembly at end of life.

• Materials used in this project are recycled and low-maintenance.

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PEEC Visitors Center Main Structure

The exploded axonometric drawing shows the building with its roof and structural members lifted out.

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PEEC Visitors Center Plan

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PEEC Visitors Center

Elevations

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PEEC Visitors Center Section

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PEEC Visitors Center

Wall Section

Glulam

Glass Steel Frame Glulam Concrete Anchor

Stressed-Skin-Panel Shed Roof Concrete Floor Surface Soil

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1’ = 9/16”

PEEC Visitors Center Structure Details

The supporting wood structure mainly relies on joints to hold it up. The wood beens have little slits cut out of them where steel beams then get inserted.

The joints are then held together with large, strong bolts.

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PEEC Visitors Center

Structural Details

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PEEC Visitors Center Model Documentation

Wood Construction 1’ = 1/8”

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PEEC Visitors Center

Model Documentation

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PEEC Visitors Center Model Documentation

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PEEC Visitors Center

Model Documentation

Bay

1’ = 1” TIAN / KATSMAN 24

PEEC Visitors Center Model Documentation

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PEEC Visitors Center

Model Documentation

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PEEC Visitors Center Model Documentation

Joint

1’ = 3”

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PEEC Visitors Center

Model Documentation

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PEEC Visitors Center Model Documentation

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