Wight designed and constructed Knoch Knolls Nature Center, a 5,300 sf building located directly along the DuPage River. As a means of showcasing the exquisite context of the site, the Nature Center was designed as “a celebration of water.” LEED Platinum Certified by the USGBC, the Nature Center teaches about the surrounding ecosystem with numerous sustainable elements, including a 1,500-gallon rainwater cistern in the main lobby.
The facility also houses two preschool classrooms for the Naperville Park District, which are attached to the core lobby and exhibit space.
Celebrating water and the surrounding natural environment, the Knoch Knolls Nature Center received LEED Platinum Certification from the USGBC.
Between water-conserving fixtures and the use of captured rainwater, the building saves 56% of the water it would have used without these strategies.
Awards
2015 Merit in Architecture, Distinguished Building over $3M, AIA Illinois
2015 Merit Award Finalist, Construction Under $15M, Chicago Building Congress
2015 Best Projects Award, Small Projects, ENR Midwest
2015 Outstanding Facility & Parks Award, Illinois Parks & Recreation Association
2015 Excellence in Engineering, ASHRAE Illinois
LEED Platinum Certification
