Flying Creek Nature Center
Watershed was selected to design the adaptive reuse of an existing residential structure into a Nature Center to serve the city’s newest park, Flying Creek Nature Preserve.
The renovations include the visual transformation of the facility into a building that speaks to the long leaf forest of the preserve, as well as extensive upgrades to the building envelope.
The scope of work entails the renovations of existing rooms into new public restrooms, offices, reception, lobby, and meeting/classroom spaces. System upgrades to convert the building from residential to commercial use include a new fire sprinkler system, new plumbing and water heating, new HVAC, and new attic insulation, as well as comprehensive upgrades to lighting, insulation, door hardware, and interior and exterior finishes.
With Watershed’s assistance, the Nature Center was awarded an ADECA grant for Energy Efficiency retrofits for building improvements with a payback period of less than 10 years. Funded improvements include solar water heating, insulation and air sealing upgrades, LED lighting, water conserving plumbing fixtures, and smart thermostats. The upgrades will reduce the operational costs of the Nature Center, while demonstrating energy and water conserving technologies to visitors.
Project type: civic/educational historic revitalization
Location: Fairhope, AL
Key team: Dell Consulting, FMS Engineering, J.Payne Construction
