North Cascades Environmental Learning Center: A Different Kind of Learning

Pratt Institute of Design students Janet Chuang, Maggie Liu and Gianna Ouyang recently sent us images of their digital and physical models from their study of the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center (ELC). 

 Almost since the ribbon-cutting, we have received requests from students at Pratt for documents to help them study the ELC. The students have used the project as a case study to learn about wood framing and other basic building materials.

Other materials studied include "wood, masonry, and concrete. Each major material is examined in the context of its chemical structure, historical evolution, relevance to contemporary practice, and utilization in new and future products."  Above is a photo of their physical model and below is a rendering of their digital model.

It’s rewarding to see that a building complex designed and built to help educate about the environment also has use in educating about the built environment in a classroom nearly 3,000 miles away! 

[Photo Credit: HKP Architects and Pratt Institute of Design]