My favorite site that we visited this term was the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. The building had a lot of thought put into how it was designed. It was oriented a certain way so that it could utilize passive heating and passive cooling as well so that it would connect with the environment and city at the same time. The building was designed with sustainability very much in mind. The way the water run off is treated was one of the items I found really intriguing. The building has many bioswells that essentially clean the water before it reaches the Scioto River nearby. The designers that about even how water runs off of pavement and installed a medium that is permeable to prevent that dirty, oily run off. The siding used on the side of the building was another sustainable item that really intrigued me. I really enjoy how the cedar changes over time very much like this site’s history has changed over time. Most of all I loved how this building and park could bring a piece of nature into the middle of a large city like Columbus and make it connect so well.
