Landscape Architect Articles

Green By Nature06-01-09 | News

Green By Nature

The Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach, Calif. opens a new building and learning center to LEED Platinum reviews.

By David Duff, AIA, LEED AP

The exterior lighting density at the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach, Calif. did not exceed 80 percent of the recommended levels?EUR??,,????'?????<

Rainwater captured on the roof of the administration building (right) is routed to the scupper. The water travels down a chain into the large dish with stones, then diverted into four dry wells, 15-feet-deep. The water eventually reaches the detention basin. The front area of the ENC is sloped to keep runoff on site, filtered through native grasses and absorbed by the rain gardens in the parking lot and to the west of the lot.

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 wears its sustainability like a neatly tailored outfit. The client, a nonprofit education center, and the design firm, Irvine-based LPA Inc., note the pride and confidence the net zero building has given its community. Without moving an inch, the ENC has gone off the grid.

The coastal sage plant palette consists of 37 native/drought trees, shrubs and vines. These native plant communities have evolved over the centuries with animals, fungi, and microbes to form a complex network. They require no fertilizers or pesticides and require less irrigation and rainwater than non-native plants because they are adapted to the dry climate. The plants were hand watered for one year, allowing the plant roots to establish and survive without any irrigation. This will save over 5,000 gallons of water each year. Consequently, a LEED point was earned in water efficiency.These plants also attract native birds, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Trees include Calif. holly and sycamore, coast live oak, lemonade berry and desert willow. Shrubs include coffeeberry, deer grass, coastal cholla, various sages, dudleya, Calif. buckwheat, coyote bush and blader pod.

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The extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials includes insulation made of recycled blue jeans; natural linoleum for countertops; composite wood for exterior skin made from saw dust 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.

Since the ENC?EUR??,,????'?????<

Notably, the new building and learning center at the ENC became the first LEED Platinum building for Orange County, Calif., an honor shared by only 10 other buildings in the state, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

Beyond the Calif. sycamore is the passage to the back deck and nature trails. The exposed roof framing eliminates extra ceiling materials. The ENC museum is to the left and the admin building to the right. You can see the corner of the Butterfly House ahead to the right.

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 a unified and sustainable outcome from the ground up.

The environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach is a nonprofit preserve recognized as one of the premier nature centers in Southern California. It welcomed more than 16,000 students last year.

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A wind turbine that flanks the entrance is another example of the site?EUR??,,????'?????<

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 displays illustrate California?EUR??,,????'?????<

Alternative transportation points were achieved by providing four bicycle racks and a shower facility. Five percent of the parking spaces are designated for fuel-efficient vehicles.

This nonprofit 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?EUR??,,????'?????<

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From the back deck of the ENC building you can see the photovoltaic roof panels that provide 95-percent of the building?EUR??,,????'?????<

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. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

LPA worked with LTI civil engineers to design drainage to maintain all storm water on site. Water from the slopping roof spills onto the rear of the site where it is diverted into a curtain drain, five-feet deep, and percolated into the sandy soil. These measures contributed to achieving LEED storm water management points. This strip of cresote bush scrub combines desert plants found in the Mojave and Anza-Borrego areas of southeastern California. The plants survive on less than seven inches of rainfall annually.

The new building and learning center is used as a teaching tool that helps students grasp and learn about the elements involved in sustainable design. The project communicates stewardship and respect for resources and the natural environment. ENC Design Principal Rick D?EUR??,,????'?????<

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The clearing in the woods overlooks the stream and the lower trails. The amphitheatre-like seating, used for nature talks, is made from sawdust and natural resins. This hard material, according to the manufacturer (Trex), does not splinter, rot, warp or need sanding and staining like wood. The material is used for the building?EUR??,,????'?????<
Photo: Stephen Kelly

Sustainable features at the 9,000-square-foot building and learning center include: optimized building orientation; bicycle storage and shower facilities; drought tolerant, indigenous landscape; fixtures that promote water conservation, even waterless urinals and low-flow faucets; efficient storm water management and daylight harvesting.

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Photo: Stephen Kelly

The extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials includes insulation made of recycled blue jeans; natural linoleum for countertops, 100% organic and recyclable; composite wood for exterior skin made from saw dust 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.

The building?EUR??,,????'?????<

California poppies and natural stone proliferate at the ENC.
Photo: Stephen Kelly

For more than 35 years, the ENC has endeavored to provide visitors with a quality education through hands-on experiences with nature. Their 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?EUR??,,????'?????<

The coastal redwood forest habitat includes lush growths of ferns. Seeing redwoods just steps away from Newport Harbor is unexpected, although remains of a redwood grove have been found in Costa Mesa, the city bordering Newport Beach. Redwoods are only found along a narrow coastal strip from upper San Luis Obispo County to Brookings, Oregon.

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.

For more information, visit www.LPAInc.com or www.ENCenter.org. The ENC team included project management services from Griffin Structures, Inc. and contraction by Gentosi Builders.

The northern oak woodlands habitat, in keeping with nature?EUR??,,????'?????<
Photo: Stephen Kelly

About the author:

David Duff is an associate at Irvine-based LPA, Inc., a LEED accredited professional and an active member of the American Institute of Architects. Mr. Duff was the project manager for the ENC in Newport Beach and is currently working on the Brentwood City Hall and Community Center. He has worked on more than 50 projects during his 17-year career.

Mike Singholm, the ENC grounds coordinator, gave LASN senior editor Stephen Kelly a tour of the grounds, offering detailed information on the flora. He pointed out, among many flora facts, the difference between the native sycamores (the gnarled trunk) and the hybrid version (the smooth trunk).
Photo: Stephen Kelly

One of the first tasks accomplished at the Environmental Nature Center was building a 300-ft. recycling stream and two ponds.
Photo: Stephen Kelly

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Photo: Stephen Kelly

Environmental Nature Center (ENC) Newport Beach, Calif.

Architect: LPA Inc.

Landscape Architect: LPA Inc

General Contractor: Gentosi Builders

Civil Engineer: LTI Inc.

Landscape Contractor: Silverwood Landscape Construction

Electrical Engineer: K1 Engineering

Sustainable Materials at the Environmental Nature Center

Trex: At exterior building siding made from sawdust and natural resins used for fencing and for the amphitheatre seating along one of the trails.

Linoleum (by Marmoleum): This countertop 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: Created from wheat-straw a rapidly renewable agricultural resource; used at millwork and shelving units.

Paperstone (at lobby desk millwork): Made from postconsumer recycled paper and a proprietary, petroleum-free resin.

Sierrapine Medite II (at millwork): Made from postconsumer recycled wood waste.

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

Shaw Eco Solution Carpet and EcoWorx Backing: A non-PVC tile backing made with recycled nylon content, 100% recyclable.

Dal Tile Natural Hues (restroom walls): Made from recycled ceramic tile materials.

Sealed Natural Concrete Floors: Eliminated extra building materials and floor coverings.

Exposed Structural Roof Framing: Eliminated extra ceiling materials.

The Evolution of the Environmental Nature Center

In the beginning, actually the early 1970s, the vacant weedy area and gulch behind Newport Harbor High School in Costa Mesa, Calif. was a dumping ground. Biology teacher Robert House and some of his fellow teachers envisioned a nature area for student learning.

Initial efforts by the Junior Ebell group evolved into community and homeowner organizations getting involved and soon a nonprofit organization with a board of directors was in place. The nascent nature area was named the Environmental Nature Center (ENC).

Landscape architect Fred Land and Ann Christoph developed the landscape plan and design. The intent was to plant native California trees, shrubs, and flowers that were drought tolerant, allowing students to experience many of the state?EUR??,,????'?????<
Initially, it was decided to depict 12 native habitats. With the help of students, one of the first tasks was to build a 300-ft. recycling stream and two ponds.

Dirt from the high school?EUR??,,????'?????<
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The local Audubon Chapter has identified 130 different bird species within the grounds. The ENC enlisted volunteer docents and developed outdoor educational programs for the elementary grades. Many former students who helped plant and create the center now come back to share the nature area with their children.

The ENC continues to evolve with new plantings. Its pathways meander through a surprising, varied landscape, from bush scrub to the misty climes of the redwood forest! Yes, redwoods in Newport Beach, and even a giant sequoia!