International Living Future Institute
Seattle, WA
Professional
Go Back
Back To Projects
Chesapeake Bay Brock Environmental Center
Virginia Beach, VA
The Brock Environmental Center will be the beachhead for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) lower bay programs, bringing the community together to solve complex environmental issues and empower the next generation of citizens through environmental education programs in the Chesapeake Bay. T… Read More
The iconic curved elements of the Brock Center’s westernmost form were a response to the pedestrian approach to the Center. Since no cars park on the site, both staff and visitors approach the Center from the northwest. As a result, the Center’s westernmost portion is highly prominent – an opportun… Read More
ILFI's approach to achieving net-zero energy began by lowering the building’s electricity consumption as much as possible before designing renewable energy systems to offset that consumption. Conservation strategies were organized into passive and active approaches. The net impact of these conservat… Read More
The Center curves in plan as well. Sustainable design strategies resulted in a very long building form. Our design sought to avoid the look of a long interior corridor that provides circulation from end to end. The solution was to curve the footprint in plan so one never sees the end of the corrid… Read More
Inside the Center, tenant office space is provided for local environmental groups and the center’s open design promotes collaboration between partners with related missions to protect the Bay. Since opening, the Hampton Roads chapter of the US Green Building Council uses the Center for its monthly … Read More
The Center itself is human-scaled. Its one-story design and features like porches and decks provide a comfortable, human scale. While there is no zoning height limit for the Brock Center, the design respects the height limit of the adjacent community, connecting it to the adjacent Ocean Park neighb… Read More
The Center is predicted to be truly net-zero water, possibly the first in the US to receive a commercial permit for drinking treated rainwater in accordance with federal requirements. Water demand calculations were performed for the building based on building occupancies, scheduled uses and design f… Read More
The occupants enjoy the clean air, daylighting, and a deep connection with nature provided by the sweeping view of the marsh and river. The users get fresh air and a bit of exercise walking to and from their cars, which are parked offsite. A charrette early in the design phase included a biomimicry … Read More
Originally a marsh, the land was filled with dredge spoil in the 1970s, turning it into a greyfield. The project site is located within the city limits of Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was slated for development in 2008. However, this project preserves the land’s ecological functioning, providing opp… Read More
