Luckett & Farley provided full design services for this new two-story nature center in Shawnee Park in Louisville, KY. The building extends over the floodplain on piers and is designed to handle flooding as the Ohio River rises. This elevation provides access to the tree canopies and a great view down the Ohio River. The site design includes adjoining gardens, nature play, and outdoor classrooms intended to serve the students and visitors.
The building will serve multiple programmatic purposes, but primarily functions to provide classroom and outdoor spaces for children on field trips. The entry area and gallery will serve as community spaces and include a rock climbing wall and art exhibit. Its green roof will serve as a public gathering space as well. The building will house offices for the administration running these programs.
The building is designed for LEED platinum certification. Systems incorporated into the design include geothermal wells, photovoltaic panels, LED lighting and graywater harvesting. The large northern windows and other windows throughout the building provide abundant natural light. Materials with low-odor and low-VOC were used to meet LEED requirements and provide optimal indoor air quality.
The project is a piece of a larger West Louisville Outdoor Recreational initiative intended to provide much-needed connections to nature in West Louisville.