Our Work Sustainability

Jester Park
Nature Center

JesterPark Nature Ctr_KZ Ext Back Patio Dusk C3.jpg
Client
Polk County Conservation
Location
Granger, IA
Size
17,792 SF
Completion date
June 2018

The Jester Park Nature Center, a 17,792 square foot facility, serves as a welcome station, interpretative center, promoter of public health and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, and administrative headquarters for the Polk County Conservation Board. 

Sustainability Civil Engineering & Water Resources Parks & Open Space

Working with an advisory committee composed of staff and members from the surrounding community, a feasibility plan was developed to identify the compatibility of a 14,000+ square foot facility on the site based on environmental considerations and opportunity for interpretation and site context. The sketches, site plan and floor plans illustrated a concept developed with the advisory committee and vetted by staff, creating a building that blends in with the surrounding prairie and performs at a highly sustainable level. 

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Exterior of a building at dusk with a pond and various landscaping in the foreground.
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JesterPark Nature Ctr_KZ Ext Back Elevation A3.jpg
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A light-filled room overlooking a nature center.
Jester Park Nature Center in Granger, Iowa. Photos by Kun Zhang.
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JesterPark Nature Ctr_KZ Int Great Room G3.jpg
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Jester Park Nature Center - Polk County Conservation, Iowa - Exterior Environmental Education Plaza Revised. 3.jpg
Jester Park Nature Center - Polk County Conservation, Iowa - Exterior Rear Stream Revised. 3.jpg
Awards
Excellence in Energy Efficient Design
Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy Company
2019

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JesterPark Nature Ctr_KZ Ext Back Elevation A3.jpg
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