PEEC Visitor Activity Center/Dining Hall Awards
Author: jmorley
PEEC Receives NCAC Annual Community Award
Lehman Township, PA – The Northeastern Pennsylvania Nonprofit & Community Assistance Community (NCAC) honored the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) with an award during the 2008 Community Awards Program in June.
The Center received first place in the Environment & Animal Welfare category for the Green construction of its new dining hall. The community award highlighted the new building’s sustainable design and the benefits of this Green design on the Earth. Aside from its positive effect on the environment, the dining hall is also used as a learning tool for the 24,000 students, teachers, families and individuals who visit PEEC annually.
PEEC’s Executive Director/CEO Jim Rienhardt accepted the award, “Through over $7 million of Congressional, State, County and private funding sources, PEEC has made improvements to its facilities that will benefit our guests and the environment. We are very honored to receive this award and to be recognized by NCAC and NEPA for our efforts.”
The community awards highlight local nonprofit organizations that make an extraordinary impact within NCAC’s seven-county region, which includes Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne counties. For more information on NCAC or the NEPA Alliance call (570) 655-5581.
PEEC’s mission is to enhance environmental awareness, knowledge and appreciation through hands-on experience in a natural outdoor classroom. It provides unique year-round environmental experiences to families, school groups, scouts and nature enthusiasts of all ages. PEEC is located near mile marker 8, within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, in Dingmans Ferry, PA (Lehman Township). For more information call (570) 828-2319. PEEC is close to home, where learning comes naturally!
PEEC’s Dining Hall Receives National Architectural Award
Lehman Township, PA – The Pocono Environmental Education Center’s dining hall has once again won an award for its sustainable design. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment and PEEC’s building was on the list!
Projects for the awards were selected because they highlight both the design innovations and sustainable strategies, along with the metrics achieved in terms of reduced carbon emissions, reduced energy consumption and improved building functionality. These projects also have a positive effect on their community, improve comfort for visitors and utilize sustainable design to reduce its impact on the environment.
The Wilkes Barre based architect firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) designed PEEC’s award winning building that opened in 2006. The building was designed to reinforce PEEC’s mission to enhance environmental awareness, knowledge and appreciation through hands-on experience in a natural outdoor classroom. Through a great deal of research, material selection and analysis, BCJ focused on the principles of sustainable design for the multi-purpose dining hall which is also used for lectures, conferences and special events. As part of the site design, native grasses were also planted to provide a landscape that is low maintenance and integrates the project into its natural surroundings.
AIA Judge Susan Rodriguez commented on various aspects of the building and was especially impressed with the use of discarded tires to cover the north wall of the new building. The re-used tires have been cut into strips and converted into exterior shingles, providing a waterproof seal that is long lasting and maintenance free. These tires are especially important to PEEC and the Park Service because the majority of the tires used were fished out of the Delaware River during river clean-up days.
PEEC’s Executive Director/CEO Jim Rienhardt commented on the award, “We were very fortunate to have such a talented firm as Bohlin Cywinski Jackson design our building. PEEC is very proud of our Green dining hall and it is good to see other organization’s acknowledging this amazing building and highlighting the importance of Green architecture.”
The building also won an AIA Architectural Honor Award in 2006 for its unique design. The projects will be honored this May at the AIA 2008 National Convention and Design Exposition in Boston. For more information on PEEC’s award winning/Green dining hall call (570) 828-2319.