Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center

The Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center is located at Air Station Prairie, a 32-acre remnant prairie in Glenview, Illinois. Innovatively designed with the exhibits embedded into the skin of the building, the center allows visitors to learn about the prairie whether the facility is open or closed. Wight provided comprehensive sustainable design services for this assignment, as well as civil engineering and construction management. Located on the only previously disturbed area in the prairie, the building sits on pin footings, like a ship that could slip its moorings and float away. The area under the building was dished down and covered in a layer of stone to absorb the natural “bounce” of water in the wetlands adjacent to the building.

This net-zero designed building received LEED Platinum Certification from the US Green Building Council.