Zion National Park Visitor Center
(Zion Visitor Center)

Robb Williamson

Overview

• Location: Springdale, UT
• Building type(s): Assembly, Park, Retail, Transportation, Interpretive Center
• New construction
• 7,600 ft2 (706 m2)
• Project scope: a single building
• Rural setting
• Completed May 2000
• Rating: Green Building Challenge

As a primary component of the Zion Canyon Transportation System, this low-energy, sustainable facility is the entry to a transit- and pedestrian-centered visitor experience, providing park information, interpretation and trip-planning assistance within a resource environment. The new visitor center is part of a transportation system that seeks to reduce resource impacts and enhance the visitor experience. Consisting of indoor and outdoor spaces for visitor services, this facility creates a setting to promote and interpret park resources and agency conservation values. In creating the Zion National Park Visitor Center, the National Park Service (NPS), working with DOE's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), has complemented Zion's natural beauty.

A SMALL RETAIL BUILDING – Information from this Case Study was featured in the Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Retail Buildings for Climate Zone 5.

Environmental Aspects

Several effective energy features were included in this project: daylighting, Trombe walls for passive solar heating, downdraft cooltowers for natural ventilation cooling, energy-efficient lighting, and advanced building controls. A roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) system provides electric power. This project will save roughly $14,000 and about 10 kW of electric demand per year through these energy-saving measures.

Owner & Occupancy

• Owned by National Park Service/Department of the Interior, Federal government
• Occupants: Federal government

The visitor center is open from 8:00 AM until 7:00 PM during the summer and until 5:00 PM during the winter. The building is cleaned from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM.

Building Programs

Keywords

Integrated team, Design charrette, Training, Commissioning, Performance measurement and verification, Operations and maintenance, Transportation benefits, Open space preservation, Wildlife habitat, Indigenous vegetation, Stormwater management, Drought-tolerant landscaping, Massing and orientation, Insulation levels, Glazing, Airtightness, Passive solar, HVAC, Lighting control and daylight harvesting, Efficient lighting, On-site renewable electricity, Local materials, Occupant recycling, Daylighting, Natural ventilation, Ventilation effectiveness, Thermal comfort