Auburn University unveiled its newest venue for environmental education at the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center (KPNC) during the official dedication and ribbon cutting of its Environmental Education Building held Friday, Dec. 6.
Nestled at the entrance of the 120-acre tract of the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center located on North College Street in Auburn, Alabama, the structure will be a dynamic focal point of the KPNC that will welcome tens of thousands of visitors and program participants annually.
Housing the KPNC’s Woodland Wonders Classroom and the multi-purpose City of Auburn Community Classroom, the new state-of-the-art building provides climate-controlled space for educational offerings and special events and gatherings.
The initial concept and design of the structure was completed by Boston’s Leers Weinzapfel Associates, led by Tom S. Chung, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C as principal architect and Su Poon, AIA, LEED AP.
With funding from the Alabama Legislature, the building was constructed using cross-laminated timber, or CLT, a mass timber product engineered using southern yellow pine produced in Dothan, Alabama. As such, the building showcases Alabama’s forest industry and the advancement of CLT as a sustainable alternative to traditional building materials.
Further enhancing the CLT-constructed design, the team incorporated exposed natural wood ceilings, walls, floors and abundant windows to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, promoting a sense of wonder and exploration of the natural world.
The building sits above the land on footings, and the landscape design incorporates natural features like the “Johnny Lawrence Memorial Rain Garden,” which minimizes environmental impacts and maintains natural water and runoff systems.
Among its primary uses, the building will be the home to Kreher’s Woodland Wonders Nature Preschool, an emergent, nature-based curriculum that invites children to learn through the experience of nature.
“This Environmental Education Building is a testimony to that mission,” said Auburn President Christopher B. Roberts. “It embodies the united partnership between the state, university, city and community members who have joined forces to create this dynamic space for our youth and community to gather, learn and appreciate the bounty of the natural world.”
“Aesthetically, this building is a showpiece of the beauty of CLT construction, but within its walls, it will accomplish something much more powerful,” said Auburn President Christopher B. Roberts.
Caption: The Kreher Preserve and Nature Center (KPNC) cut the ribbons on its new Environmental Education Building on Dec. 6, 2024. Engineered from cross-laminated timber (CLT), the building serves as a meeting space, educational classroom, and place of learning for everyone to enjoy the natural world. Photo courtesy Auburn University.