Sam’s Point Conservation Center Cragsmoor, NY
2005 American Institute of Architects Honor Awards for Architectural Design and Sustainability
This facility provides support services for staff and visitors using the 5,000+ acre Sam’s Point Preserve. Designed for The Nature Conservency, the principal building is an extension of the landscape where natural materials focus the visitor on the relationships between the geology of the cliffs and the rare dwarf pine to which the Preserve is home.
The building dissolves the normal boundaries between the site and the structure in order to heighten the sense of integration. Concrete flooring, masonry walls and structural timber framing all pass seamlessly from interior to exterior. The primary wall material is a custom-designed system of massive pre-cast concrete masonry blocks dubbed “Gunk-Crete.” Made from a custom mix of colored white concrete and quartzite aggregates, the masonry is similar to the local limestone that defines the Preserve.
The architectural design, site planning, materials and building systems were all designed in accordance with the LEED standards developed by the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to demonstrate energy-efficient, sustainable building practices that are affordable and widely available. The building is currently awaiting LEEDS certification.
Sam’s Point Conservation Center