San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center—CA
The County of San Diego’s San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is home to 20 species of reptiles and amphibians, 24 kinds of mammals and almost 300 varieties of birds. The lagoon lies along the coast between Solana Beach and Encinitas and extends inland to the community of Rancho Santa Fe, approximately 1,000 feet from the Pacific Ocean.
The previous structure, a 2,800 square-foot visitors’ center built in the 1980s, was no longer sufficient to support the 50,000 patrons that visited each year. The reserve was in dire need of a newly-constructed, proper nature center to serve as the community’s local base for education, land stewardship and environmental protection.
The county’s main goal for the building was to bring public awareness on the importance of the environment and its preservation. To support this effort, the nature center was designed to meet the LEED-Gold certification criteria. Not only does the two-story, 5,525 square-foot center feature state-of-the-art sustainable building materials, but it also highlights the positive effects of green buildings on the environment through interactive exhibits. The roof of the center, over the exterior gathering area, is landscaped with native plants and serves as a natural filtration system to clean rain water before it enters the lagoon.
Additional green components include heat/light reflective roofing, insulation comprised of recycled denim pants (jeans), radiant slab heating, and skylights to reduce the need for artificial lighting. Recycled water from the municipal treatment plant located near the center is used for dual-flush water closets and irrigation. Photovoltaic technology, in the form of solar panels on the roof, provides half of the center’s energy needs.
The construction site was monitored with the assistance of both an archaeologist and biologist. The archaeologist flagged an adjacent Native American archeological site and worked with a Native American representative to observe all building and utility excavations to ensure safety and preservation of artifacts. A biologist ensured there were no endangered species in the area to be cleared and grubbed. The footprint of the construction area, including the staging area, was kept to a minimum to reduce the impact on native flora and fauna.
