【正文】
same time, the center’s core objective is to bine that access with an educational program to heighten awareness in all of the issues that affect the health and sustainability of this important coastal ecosystem. In an effort to integrate the center into the surrounding landscape as much as possible, the form of the building opens up dramatically toward the water with the bulk of the fenestration on the south and east facades where views of the bay predominate. The north facade is bermed into the earth and held close to the integration of landscaping and solar orientation results in a snug, yet fully day lit building in which all occupied spaces have a view out to the bay. At the same time, the collective effect of the bermed facade, a series of connected swales, and a green roof essentially eliminates the negative effects of storm water runoff on the bay by minimizing the amount of impervious surface. The site, which was previously a landfill for construction debris, contained a number of raw materials that were mined as part of the design team’s strategy to be resourceful and keep costs contained. Two examples of this reuse include: old concrete slabs that were crushed and utilized as structural fill below the new slab