An Ecological Education Center That Goes Beyond Net Zero

Instead of baseline sustainability standards, the client and landscape architect, the Lake County Forest Preserves, asked Lake Flato to aim higher. Not only does the building meet its net-zero goal, but it produces an energy surplus.

“What really excited us about this project and the client was how strong their desire was to push the boundaries of sustainability,” recalls Lake Flato’s Matt Wallace, co-leader of the firm’s Eco-Conservation Studio. They had completed one of the first LEED Platinum projects in Illinois on the site in 2006, and the new education center was a chance to build on that legacy. Funded by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, the building now welcomes Chicago school groups, scout troops, and families, serving as a gateway to understanding the ecosystems that define northern Illinois.

Set along the Des Plaines River, the education center replaces two drafty, inaccessible 1940s-era cabins that housed the Forest Preserve’s programming since 1972. In addition to the certification goals, “they wanted a forever building,” remarks architect and Passive House specialist JT Schaffhauser. “As an organization, they were prioritizing it as a public investment that needs to represent not just this generation but generations to come.”

When it came to the site, the original cabins were carefully deconstructed and moved, while the new 3,739-square-foot wood, glass, and zinc-roofed structure was placed within its footprint. The new facility is nestled amongst heritage trees and the outdoor classroom encourages immersive learning through its proximity to the nearby trail network. “Building outside the cabin footprint would’ve done harm to the pristine woodland that they are trying to educate the public about,” Wallace says. They also brought in an arborist for a comprehensive study that looked at floodplain data and vulnerable surrounding species.

Set within a sensitive forest, reducing the energy demand of the building was essential from the outset. Passive House and Phius ZERO certification offered the most direct path to achieving net-zero performance. The facility incorporates a 23.8kW rooftop solar array that offsets 100 percent of its annual energy consumption. Other elements such as high-efficiency HVAC systems with energy recovery ventilation as well as advanced insulation and triple pane windows help reduce the heating and cooling loads.