The Irvine Nature Center opened the doors to its new campus in Owings Mills in September 2008. This highly anticipated event heralded the newest offering for Marylanders seeking information and inspiration. The new facility provides Baltimore a wonderful new destination with a rich programmatic history. Visitors enjoy a green building, state-of-the-art exhibits, and a beautiful 116-acre campus with miles of trails to explore. But it will also be much more than a destination. The new Irvine Nature Center is a community resource, a place where people of all ages can learn about nature and how to live a greener, more active life. The new building is approximately 17,000 GSF and includes many LEED technologies. The mechanical systems incorporate a ground source heat pump system for heating and cooling. The ground source heat pump system eliminates the noise associated with heat rejection equipment located outside. It also eliminates the plume that would be associated with a boiler system. Carbon dioxide level monitoring is used to vary the required ventilation air to the classroom and auditorium spaces. Waterless urinals are also a feature. Daylighting control and occupancy sensors are integrated into the lighting design. In addition to power and lighting design, our electrical design included a lightning protection system, fire alarm system, and a conduit system for voice and data.

Additional Information:

Location	Owings Mills, MD
Construction Value	$3,900,000
Owner	Irvine Nature Center
Architect	GWWO, Inc./Architects

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