Maine Audubon
Falmouth, Maine

This project included construction of a new 5,000 sf Environmental Education Center and renovations of existing offices and a solar heated headquarters building to consolidate administration activities. The new building is the centerpiece of Maine Audubon’s environmental education and public outreach programs. It contains exhibits, gallery space, a teachers’ resource area, a kitchen, storage space, offices, a retail store, and a reception area. It also houses classrooms, which when interior partitions slide back, can be converted into a large meeting space. Daylighting, passive solar heating, natural ventilation, high performance envelope and windows, sunshades, and an innovative groundwater heat pump mechanical system are important elements in a carefully balanced sustainable design that, by all accounts, is a delight to work in and visit. Our work began with a comprehensive study and analysis of alternate building sites, configurations, and costs. We also played a major role in fundraising. Samuel Van Dam, Richard Renner, and Carol Wilson worked together as a team. The general contractor was Wright-Ryan Construction, Portland, Maine.

This project received an award for design excellence from the Maine Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and an award for sustainable design from the Boston Society of Architects.