The Trinity River Audubon Center resides within the largest urban hardwood forest in the United States within a few miles of the nearby urban downtown environment. The LEED Gold Certified facility is sculpted by elements of the natural world – earth, water, and air. The facility distills the energy of this restored place through exhibits, classrooms, and research laboratories that celebrate the land.
The interior of the project was developed to provide the owner and end user with flexible spaces that would adapt for many uses. The larger open rooms provide spaces that can accommodate exhibits, receptions, conferences and other organized gatherings. The educational wing has a series of classrooms and laboratories that are connected to allow movable partitions to adapt the scale of each room. An outdoor ramped corridor reduces the square footage of interior conditioned space and provides elevated views of the site and interaction with the outdoors. Exterior spaces extend out from each of the wings; deep overhangs provide cooling shade for outdoor activities and connections to the trail heads.
The facility was designed to provide the client with long term durability, flexibility, and minimal maintenance. This multiple award-winning project was designed by Antoine Predock Architects.