North Cascades Environmental Learning Center City Projects Case Study Case City Projects Seattle City Light Photo by Lara Swimmer Square Feet: 38,582, 1 story Benefits Site: 20.1 acres, 876,000 sq. ft. n Zero water used for irrigation and zero stormwater runoff Location: North Cascades National Park n 20% reduction in energy use – $5,784 in annual savings Construction Cost: $295/square feet n 84% of wood is FSC-certified from well managed forests Completed: January 2006 n 52% of products and materials from regional sources n 100% of occupied areas have outdoor views LEED Facts - NC Silver Project Overview The North Cascades Environmental Learning maintenance and recycle buildings complete 37 69 Center (NCELC) is a field-based educational the campus, for a total of 15 buildings. A Sustainable Sites 10 14 and cultural center, on Diablo Lake in the learning shelter, boat dock and trails are North Cascades National Park, providing nearby. Water Efficiency 2 5 lodging and support services for groups of Excepting a full-time staff of one plus one Energy & Atmosphere 5 17 up to 60. cook, occupancy varies daily and weekly, Materials & Resources 7 13 The facility includes an administration with more in the summer months. NCELC Indoor Environment 9 15 building, a classroom, two teaching labs and lodges accommodate over 60 when filled. a library. Three lodges and three duplexes are The dining hall, which is used for all meals Innovation & Design 4 5 located a short distance away, along with a and some special events, seats 50. Duplexes single cabin for one full-time staff member. are inhabited by 10-12 students in a graduate Points Achieved Points Available A dining hall renovation, amphitheater, and program hosted by the North Cascades Institute. city green building Photo: courtesy of NCI Photo by David Hall The North Cascades Institute The North Cascades Institute (NCI) provides all of the educational programming and day- Sustainable Sites The footprints of NCELC buildings cover to-day management for the North Cascades the pads of previous cabins, and the design Environmental Learning Center (NCELC), The North Cascades Environmental for the campus includes the renovated serving organized groups of school children Learning Center is located within the upper and adults as well as visiting individuals restaurant associated with the old resort. Skagit River watershed, near one of three Existing roads and paths were reused, with and families. Funds for facility maintenance dams on the river. These dams provide and operation are provided through an some pavement replaced by gravel. The hydroelectric power serving 25 percent of endowment set up by Seattle City Light in campus is now virtually car and pavement connection with the construction of the Seattle’s electricity needs. free. Buses and cars drop off visitors and NCELC, and the operation is overseen by City The 15-building complex is located gear, then park off-campus. Gravel paths Light and by the National Parks as land owner. about 65 miles northeast of Burlington, serve entries, outdoor common spaces Sedro Woolley-based North Cascades Washington on a remote site inside North and terraces. Institute was founded by director Saul Cascades National Park, near the shore Designing a complex of 15 smaller Weisberg in 1986, with the mission of of Diablo Lake above Diablo Dam. North buildings instead of a few larger ones conserving and restoring the Northwest Cascades Park is one of several contiguous minimized excavation and ground environment. On Fourth of July weekend protected areas in the North Cascades, disturbance. New buildings are set into in 2005, the institute hosted its first family extending across the border into Canada. program at the NCELC with current director the rocky mountainside, taking advantage Jeff Muse. Since that summer, North The first buildings on the site housed of the site contours to provide forest Cascades Institute programming at NCELC construction crews for nearby Ross Dam and mountain views, while respecting has expanded to offer special opportunities before becoming part of a small fishing the sensitivity of the lake shore. Building for environmental education, along with resort. The project grew out of the 1995 footprints follow the vertical rise of the specialized hospitality and recreation, for federal re-licensing of Seattle City Light’s site, well buffered from both an existing diverse groups. Skagit River dams, and it is intended creek and the possibility of future creek School kids (grades 3-12) come to the NCELC to mitigate the impact of hydroelectric debris flow. for Mountain School, and high school students projects on the Skagit River environment. The administration building, classroom, participate in North Cascades Wild and Girls While the NCELC is owned by Seattle City on Ice. Teacher education is an important part teaching labs and library form the heart Light, it stands on public lands managed of the campus. Three lodges and two of NCI’s contribution to the larger Northwest by North Cascades National Park. The regional community, and courses in climate duplexes are located uphill and at a short North Cascades Institute supplies, change and nature mapping are part of a distance in order to minimize shoreline masters degree for education in environmental maintains and operates the buildings impact. Despite an 80-foot rise in the slope administration program offered by Western themselves, offering educational of the site, all buildings in the complex are Washington University, Bellingham. NCELC programs for all ages. ADA accessible. also hosts environmental stewardship In their unique partnership, the North Tree-like concrete columns and steel programs including Eagle Watchers, Mountain Cascades Institute, National Park Service Stewards, and Native Plant Stewards. struts support cantilevered overhangs and City of Seattle are supported by the that mimic the forest canopy, and provide The North Cascades Institute has won North Cascades Conservation Council, protection from the elements. Wood multiple awards for environmental education Upper Skagit Tribe, Swinomish Indian Tribal structure is expressed throughout interiors. and advocacy, including the Organizational Community, Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, USDA Excellence Awardfrom the Environmental Buildings, trails and walkways enhance the Forest Service, Washington Department Education Association of Washington (2006) experience of the natural environment. and the Best U.S. Environmental Protection of Fish and Wildlife and the Office of the and Education Group from Charity Navigator Superintendent of Public Instruction. (2006). city green building city green building HIGH EMISSIVITY METAL ROOFING PREVENTS HEAT ISLAND EFFECT OZONE-SAVE RIGID INSULATION HIGH EFFICIENCY LIGHTING WITH PHOTODIMMING THERMALLY EFFICIENT GLAZING STORMWATER RUNOFF DIRECTED TO BIOSWALES CONCRETE WITH AND DRYWELLS FLYASH CONTENT 85% RECYCLED CELLULOSE INSULATION SALVAGED MAPLE FLOORING SALVAGED IDAHO WHITE PINE TRIM LOW-VOC PAINTS COATINGS, SEALANTS AND ADHESIVES EFFICIENT HYDRONIC HEATING SYSTEM Photos above and top middle by Lara Swimmer, middle lower photo by David Hall, and drawing above by HKP Architects All sizeable trees were inventoried and Energy & Atmosphere High, operable windows provide stack saved where possible, some coming within ventilation. Along with abundant cross- a few feet of roof edges. The landscape The unique position of the NCELC in a ventilation, this precludes the need for air plan went beyond reliance on native plant forested location near a source of non- conditioning, and heat gain is limited. polluting electrical power makes it an species. All plantings in the project were In classrooms, photo-sensors measure actually propagated locally or grown from ideal site for demonstrating energy efficiency. The projected, combined energy natural light levels and dim lights seed collected on the site itself and held accordingly. Occupancy sensors turn until construction was completed. performance for all buildings exceeds ASHRAE 90.1 by 20 percent. This amounts lights on and off. Because of the remoteness of the site to $5,784 in annual energy savings and Materials & Resources and its scenic beauty, the threat of light over 100,000 kilowatt hours of electricity pollution and heat island effects are per year, enough to serve the entire Based on dollar value, approximately 11 important. Light pollution is controlled complex for over three months in the percent of all the construction products with low-footcandle light bollards for path summer. for the project are made with recycled lighting. Large overhangs bounce interior materials. Those with recycle content Lodges and staff housing meet Seattle lighting back down to the ground, also. include cellulose insulation, Trex decking, City Light’s Built-Smart standards, with flyash in concrete, structural steel and Abundant shade from the many mature extra insulation and triple-pane low-e rebar, metal roofing, gypsum wall board, and preserved trees helps to prevent heat argon windows. Roofs are insulated to R-38 ceramic tile, plastic bathroom partitions, from escaping the site. In addition, all the instead of the required R-30 and exterior and linoleum. Rocks from the site are used roofs are high-emission ENERGY STAR walls to R-26 instead of R-19. The U-value in retaining walls. compliant metal, reducing the amount for windows is 0.34. of heat retained. Again based on dollar value, 53 percent of To help conserve energy, different heating total materials were