by Russell Boniface
Associate Editor

Summary: Endangered sea turtles will be the focus of the new Barrier Island Sanctuary Management and Education Center in Melbourne Beach, Fla. The new 5,600-square-foot, 34-acre recreation and environmental center is currently under construction within the 900-acre Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge along the east coast of Brevard County, Fla. The center's primary objective is to provide education within the refuge focusing on the coastal barrier island’s habitats and species, mainly sea turtles. The sustainable facility will house interactive exhibits, auditorium, a classroom, an observation deck, and an overlook. Orlando-based VOA Associates Inc. is spearheading the design, while the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program is partnering with the Caribbean Conservation Corps (CCC) to run the education programs, including guided hikes and turtle sightseeing. Completion is slated for fall 2007.

Sea turtles are either threatened or endangered, depending on the species. Despite the name, sea turtles lay their eggs on land, nesting on beaches. Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1991, is dubbed “Our Nation's Most Important Sea Turtle Refuge.” A 20-mile section of coastline from Melbourne Beach to Wabasso Beach in Florida, it is home to 25 percent of all loggerhead sea turtle nests and 35 percent of all green sea turtle nests in the U.S., making it the second most important nesting beach in the world. A total of 15,000-20,000 sea turtle nests are created annually there, with as many as 1,000 turtle nests per mile. The refuge also provides habitat for several other threatened and endangered species. The new Barrier Island Sanctuary Management and Education Center, located on a barrier island three miles north of Sebastian Inlet, will give visitors an opportunity to observe and learn about the refuge’s sea turtles and other barrier island habitats.

Green building design promotes habitat education
VOA’s sustainable design for the Barrier Island Sanctuary building incorporates a deliberate seashell appearance using a configuration of curved roofs and walls. The design also serves to shelter the entry from prevailing winds. Special glazing maximizes exterior lighting on a site carefully selected to avoid disturbing the barrier island habitats while implementing native landscaping techniques. Guided turtle walks and hikes though the Refuge will highlight the educational programs and exhibits.

“Our project team performed extensive site analyses to determine the feasibility of developing this sensitive area while protecting the native dune vegetation,” says Jonathan F. Douglas, AIA, VOA's managing principal. “The resulting site reduces the developable footprint by carefully locating major elements of the project within already disturbed areas.”

A boardwalk connecting visitors to an already-in-place, mile-long nature trail encourages visitors to go turtle gazing, while a universally accessible coastal viewing platform provides visual access to the beach, allowing all visitors to see nocturnal turtles nesting on the shores of the center.

A universally accessible coastal viewing platform provides visual access to the beach

“Because of the unique purpose for this environmental learning center, the client team was composed of partnership groups related to the continued guardianship of the sea turtle population that regularly nests along this coastal area as well as to the preservation of the native habitat of the Archie Carr Refuge,” Douglas explains.

Project survives hurricanes
Bringing the Barrier Island Sanctuary Management and Education Center to fruition was a challenge due to Hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma in 2004 and 2005. The calamities affected the project’s bidding effort and delayed the site approval process. The process extended over two years instead of the usual nine months.

If you're going to develop on a barrier island, this building is the way you should do it

“Our goal is for this project to serve as a demonstration that ‘'if you're going to develop on a barrier island, this building is the way you should do it,’” Douglas points out. “In light of the damaging hurricanes that impacted Florida in 2004 and 2005, particularly the east central coast, it's imperative that all new coastal construction be sensitive to the demands of the environment unique to this region of Florida by designing to address the forces of nature as well as preserving the natural environment.”

The center is named after Archie Carr, world-renowned sea turtle expert and ecologist and founder of the CCC. Carr passed away in 1987.