Knoch Knolls Nature Center Wins 2015 Architectural Award

Knoch Knolls Nature Center, located at 320 Knoch Knolls Road, celebrated its one-year anniversary in October and was recognized recently by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Northeast Illinois with a Design Excellence Award. The Nature Center won the prestigious Merit in Architecture for Distinguished Building Over $3 million.

Wight and Company served as the project architect and members of their project team attended the AIA meeting to receive the architectural award.

The project summary for the award explained the concept behind the design as follows:

"As a nature center meant to enliven visitors' sense of wonder about the natural world and provide connection to local ecosystems, including the river, the building was designed around the primary theme of 'celebrating water.'

"A butterfly-shaped roof over the west end of the building gives artistic expression to the harvesting of rain that is collected in a 1,500-gallon rainwater harvesting cistern, located in the center of the exhibit lobby space.

"The design for this LEED-Platinum certified facility features indoor and outdoor educational exhibits, two classrooms that are 100 percent day-lit, public restrooms, photovoltaic panels, a deck overlooking a reshaped pond, and a green roof."

Knoch Knolls Nature Center won the Outstanding Facility and Park Award earlier this year from the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association in the category of New Specific Use Facility. The Center also was recognized in 2014 by The Conservation Foundation with the Sustainable Development Award for its environmentally friendly design.

The Nature Center currently is featured in an article by project architect Lois Vitt Sale in Parks & Rec Business.