This Environmental Center in Key West, Florida was programmed and designed with joint venture partner Guidry Beazly Architects under contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The facility includes an interagency visitor center, as well as administrative and operational facilities for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The arrangement of building footprints, parking areas and maintenance yards allows for the development of an outdoor exhibit area overlooking the harbor and refuge. The architectural design and material usage incorporate environmentally sensitive considerations that comply with Green Building requirements as well as standards for severe weather sustainability - all of which have earned the facility a LEED silver rating.