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Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceIf you've made it to Vegas, but missed the impressive sites of <a href="http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/" target="_blank">Red Rock Canyon</a> directly to the west, you missed out on a beautiful experience. The amazing <a href="http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_programs/blm_special_areas/red_rock_nca.html" target="_blank">national conservation area</a> plays host to a variety of desert flora and fauna, with the most spectacular red rock canyon walls serving as a backdrop. To better preserve and protect the canyon, the conservation area hired the Tucson-based firm <a href="http://www.lineandspace.com/Projects/RRCVC.html" target="_blank">Line and Space</a> to design a new visitor center that would respect and respond to the surrounding environment. A number of resource conserving strategies were incorporated, along with energy efficiency measures to minimize impact and maximize visitor experience with the landscape.1
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceLocated just 20 minutes outside the bright and busy strip of Las Vegas, this serene desert landscape is known as a destination for rock climbers and for its beautiful red stained landscape.2
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceThe new visitor arrival building provides 38,500 sq feet of outdoor exhibits, a remodel of the existing visitor center building to house administrative functions, and a new Visitor Contact/Fee Station.3
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceThe landscape beyond is artfully incorporated into both the indoor and outdoor exhibits enticing visitors to go further and explore.4
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceAll the exhibits aim to educate on environmental topics regarding the surrounding ecosystem, but also about how the building works to conserve resources and how to be a good environmental steward.5
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceAs visitors arrive, they enter under the "Big Hat", which is a large overhanging roof that creates an intermediate thermal transition zone between the outside and the interior conditioned spaces.6
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceThis roof also harvests rainwater for use in landscape irrigation and interpretive exhibits. High efficiency mechanical systems, evaporative coolers, daylighting, high efficiency lighting and the use of shade devices all help to minimize energy use.7
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceShade is a critical element in any desert architecture in order to minimize and mitigate solar heat gain and encourage natural ventilation.8
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceMeanwhile solar water heating, a 60 kW photovoltaic system and <a href="http://solarwall.com/en/products/solarwall-air-heating/how-it-works.php" target="_blank">transpired solar wall system</a> all take advantage of free energy from the sun.9
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and Spacehe new facility was completed in 2010 and has since earned its LEED Gold certification, which is a fitting tribute to the surrounding vistas.10
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceVisitors explore the native flora or the landscape.11
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceOutdoor zones are sheltered and shaded to create climatic comfort in order to minimize indoor conditioned space.12
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceSite plan of the visitor center.13
Red Rock Visitor Canyon Center-Line and SpaceDiagram of the energy efficiency strategies.14
