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Kohl Children's Museum
Project of the Year: Sustainability
Sustainability was a project goal throughout the design process
of the Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview, Ill.
The museum is pursuing the U.S. Green Building Council's Silver
certification as part of its Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design process. Kohl would be the first LEED-certified, newly
constructed children's museum in the country.
The sustainable features include the Energy Star-compliant,
highly reflective, solar-heat-resistant medal roof, light-colored
walk surfaces and parking areas, wheat board ceiling system
and carpet tiles made from recycled materials.
The sustainable elements are featured in an exhibit, Its Easy
Being Green. It is designed to illustrate the building's environmentally
sensitive approach to construction through time-lapse photographs
and samples of the recycled materials used.
Moving Outdoors
Satisfying the museum's long-standing desire to deliver educational
experiences beyond the museum walls, integrated outdoor features
allow children to experience nature authentically without
leaving the grounds.
For example, a floating, sculptural, metal roof does more
than the eye-its folded plan collects rainwater in its "valley,"
offering visitors the experience of a rainfall in a rainstorm.
Habitat Park is a fenced-in, two-acre space with children's
garden, winding paths, rolling berms and tactile sculptures,
and it allows children to explore and discover the outdoor
environment.
An additional feature is improved accessibility. This includes
the connection of all entrances to the parking lot, separate
entrances for large groups of schoolchildren on field trips
and the integration of universal design elements to accommodate
children of all abilities.
Furthermore, the location of the new museum greatly improves
accessibility through public transportation enabling the museum
to serve a significantly larger base of Chicago-area communities.
Jury Comments: "When you think of sustainable development,
you have to impress children. This is an appropriate chance
to teach children about green issues. It's comprehensive,
too."
Click here for more Best of 2006 Award Winners >>
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