The Pocono Environmental Education Center in Pike County has been selected by the American Institute of Architects as one of the top 10 examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.

The projects will be honored at the AIA 2008 National Convention and Design Exposition in Boston.

“These projects were judged against a rigorous set of criteria to determine the best examples of sustainable design concepts and intentions,” said Henry Siegel, chair of the AIA Committee on the Environment. “In addition to examining their architectural innovation, the buildings had to have shown design elements within their regional / community context, land use and site ecology that benefits surrounding ecosystems, resource conservation through bioclimatic design and the health benefits associated with improved lighting and indoor air quality.”

Pocono Environmental Education Center is designed to reinforce the mission of environmental stewardship and education. Through careful site and materials selection, analysis and design of building systems, the structure outwardly expresses the principles of sustainable design.

The building is a flexible, multi-purpose gathering space for dining, meetings, lectures and other environmental learning activities. As part of the site design, native grasses were planted to provide a landscape that is low maintenance and integrates the project into its natural surroundings.

“This is a dramatic transformation of a site by using the materials removed from its cleanup, to create the exterior envelope, which is exciting to see. The use of the recycled tires and the texture they produce are inventive,” said Susan T. Rodriguez of Polshek Partnership Architects, one of the judges in the competition.

The Top Ten Green Projects program celebrates projects that are the result of a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems and technology. They make a positive contribution to their communities, improve comfort for building occupants and reduce environmental impacts through strategies such as reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact and regenerative site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials, and design that improves indoor air quality.

For more information, visit the AIA Pocono Environmental Education Center webpage

5/2/2008