Environmental stewardship comes alive in spectacular fashion at the new Westwood Hills Nature Center, an interpretative center in the heart of St. Louis Park, Minnesota that blends energy efficiency, environmental education and beautiful architecture. Designed by multidisciplinary design firm HGA, the center not only serves as a teaching tool about Minnesotan flora and fauna but also as a beacon of sustainable architecture with its net-zero energy design. With passive and active strategies installed, from solar panels to high-performance thermal mass walls, the Westwood Hills Nature Center is on track to achieve International Living Future Institute’s zero-energy certification — the first of its kind in the state. Commissioned by the City of St. Louis Park as an extension of its Green Building Policy and Climate Action Plan, the new Westwood Hills Nature Center was built to replace a small, nondescript building from the 1980s. At 13,000 square feet, the environmental learning center will have ample space to host classrooms and public events in multipurpose rooms as well as an outdoor classroom space, an expanded public exhibit, offices for staff and additional flexible learning and support spaces. The architects drew inspiration for the building design from nature. The structure features Alaskan […]
Latest Articles
New Barbie Honors Jane Goodall and Champions Sustainability
Takeaways: Coinciding with World Chimpanzee Day, Barbie's new doll honours Dr Jane Goodall and her work with these animals.
Barbie has also introduced a...
How Citizen Science Helps NOAA Keep Tabs on Our Oceans
Takeaways: Volunteers contribute more than a million hours to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which runs citizen projects annually.
Projects range from tracking...
Chimps Digging Wells Shows Learned Behavior That May Help Amid Climate Change
Takeaways: Researchers have observed well-digging behaviour in a group of chimpanzees in Uganda.
This was the first time well-digging was observed in a rainforest.
...
Why Our Creativity Connects Us To Nature
Why Our Creativity Connects Us To Nature Guest post by: Philippa Robin, Creative Copywriter & Wordsmith The artistical side of life in our western culture is well known as...
Biden–Harris Admin Launches New Solar Initiatives to Lower Electricity Bills & Create Clean Energy...
Takeaways: The Biden–Harris Administration launched new initiatives to connect families to more reliable clean energy, lower electricity bills, and create good-paying jobs in the...
Celebrating New Ways of Reducing CO2 – the Art of Cutting Carbon
Takeaways: Scientists have invented a gadget that sucks the ink off printer paper so each sheet can be used ten times over to cut...