RAVEN ROCK VISITOR CENTER

The new visitor center for Raven Rock State Park will serve as the key element in a twentyfive acre site improvement initiative by the North Carolina Department of Environment & Natural Resources to engage and connect visitors to the park’s 3,953 acres of natural resources.

The center will orient its visitors to an expanded network of trails, picnic shelters and parking facilities as well as educate them with hands-on exhibits, an auditorium and both indoor and outdoor instruction areas.  Park staff offices and public restrooms will also be accommodated in the new 7,100sf building.

The visitor center will be submitted to the USGBC for LEED-NC Silver Certification.  Sustainable design strategies are integral to the design solution for the new visitor center.  The building footprint is strategically compact to minimize site disturbance and regrading of natural areas.  A new advanced storm drainage system will be used to reduce the amount of storm water flow and improve water quality.  Daylighting strategies, a geothermal heat pump and solar panels will be employed to reduce energy consumption. A majority of the materials will be either locally sourced or rapidly renewable.