Project Description
Cultural Projects
2012 Annual Design Review
Ruhl Walker Architects
Occupying a site that was formerly part of a sugarcane plantation, the new Hawaii Wildlife Center is a care-and-response facility that caters to the needs of injured animals, many of them endangered species. Because of the flat and barren nature of the landscape, the 3,420-square-foot wood structure had to provide its own shade, which it does with a 1,116-square-foot covered lanai, and a rainwater catchment system that provides water for all on-site irrigation needs. The building, which was constructed for $250 per square foot, is naturally ventilated by trade winds, and all electricity needs are met by rooftop photovoltaic arrays.
“I think because of the climate, it really engages the opportunity to be an interior–exterior flow of space.” —Elizabeth Ranieri