The Nest Educational Enrichment Campus
Watershed worked with teachers, students, and community leaders to create the Master Plan and Schematic Design for a sustainably designed center for learning and the arts in downtown Fairhope.
The Master Plan for the Nest Campus includes three phases:
Phase I (complete): A pavilion for educational programming and community events, restrooms and accessibility improvements to site and buildings. Learn more about The Pavilion at The Nest here.
Phase II: Adaptive reuse of four free-standing classrooms into office space, project based learning labs, community meeting space, restrooms, renovations and upgrades to an existing marine science lab.
Phase III: Renovations and upgrades to the existing marine science lab
The Pavilion at The Nest, the completed Phase I of the project.
Each phase includes landscaping and green infrastructure designed to demonstrate best practices in stormwater management and habitat restoration.
Phase I, the Pavilion at the Nest, a certified outdoor classroom, is now complete. The Pavilion integrates architecture and landscape into a living laboratory for environmental education. The Pavilion and landscape are the first phase of a master plan to expand an award-winning marine science laboratory for K-3 students into an educational enrichment campus for K-12 students, summer camps, professional education around project based learning, and fundraising events for the Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation.
Site plan of The Nest. (Click to enlarge)
A key project goal is provide memorable educational experience in nature, in order to help students connect the dots between the health of Mobile Bay ecosystems and the upstream buildings and landscapes in their communities.
Phase II will include the revitalization and expansion of four free-standing classrooms opening to the central business district. Phase III will include improvements to and expansion of the original marine science laboratory on site. Both phases include the continued development of the campus landscape as a living laboratory for habitat restoration and low-impact development.
Project type: civic/educational new construction
Location: Fairhope, AL
What makes this campus a 3D Textbook?
Rainwater Collection system
“Living Machine” water treatment wetland
Solar Canopy and Electronic Energy Monitoring
Green Walls / Living Art Exhibits
Teaching Garden and Compost Center
Outdoor Classrooms and Performance Space
Flexible, wired Maker Spaces encourage creativity
