2023 STUDENT MERIT AWARD - WATER EDUCATION CENTER

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"Project Team:"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Student - Charlotte Williams"]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"Summary:"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The Water Education Center is located approximately two miles up from Memory Grove in City Creek Canyon in Salt Lake City, UT. It is submerged in the canyon walls and connects to pre-existing trail systems along the river. The square footage of the program, including both buildings and the outdoor classrooms, is approximately 9,000 sq ft. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The high and low areas of City Creek Canyon have a very different look and feel: the presence of the river transforms the dry, sunny, and open plains on top into a cool, dense, enclosed area below. The vegetation on the site dramatically responds to and amplifies this contrast. On the site are three plant communities: grasses, mountain brush, and riparian. Each of the three are highlighted in a respective exhibition space overlooking their zone, which additionally grow onto the green roofs. The higher building frames ecosystems with limited water, and the lower building highlights ecosystems with abundant water\u2014an important contrast in our desert state. Retention walls terrace the hillside allowing for opportunities to revegetate the areas of invasive grasses with native sagebrush steppe plants, which are found growing at the very top of the canyon on more modest slopes. The educational center additionally draws inspiration from the geometry of the canyon, acting as a microcosm of the experience of traveling through the area. The building forms are extruded from the topography and buried in the hillside. The Desert Learning Center has an atrium space splitting the building in half, reminiscent of the river carving through the mountains. The Riparian Gallery follows and frames the subtle bend of the river."]]]]}