Designed primarily for children, the Pocono Environmental Education Center is a teaching tool, demonstrating the ways and importance of sustainability and broadening understanding of our interdependent relationship with nature.The building is approached through a forest, which gives way to wetland, where the undulating black wall is first seen. Tires reclaimed from the Delaware River and park grounds were converted into shingles that form a durable, interlocking waterproof skin that is maintenance free.Visitors reach the building across a planked bridge, entering through an opening in the dark north wall and proceeding through a service zone into the bright, sunlit main space.This great south-facing shed makes use of the sun's warmth, mountain breezes, and abundant light, drawing upon these natural forces for primary heating, ventilation, and illumination. In the gathering space the views of the surrounding landscape, light and shadow, and calm and storm inspire appreciation of the natural world and our responsibilities as stewards of the environment.The Pocono Environmental Education Center promotes reuse of natural resources, directly challenging visitors to consider the possibilities of sustainable design.
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