Hillsborough County embarked on an ambitious plan to convert a water treatment campus into a community park complete with new trails, a dog park, and picnic pavilions in a multi-phase renovation. One of the final pieces to be complete is the renovation of a decommissioned pump and control station. While centrally located, this utilitarian 2,286 square foot building was visually detracting from the upgraded park system.

Rather than tearing this structure down, the goal of this project was to efficiently re-imagine this underutilized pre-engineered metal building as a community-oriented Nature Education Center. The new public amenity includes a large flexible exhibit space, conference room, storage space, and restrooms. The main flex area is designed around an existing garage door, allowing the space and activities to spill out into the adjacent lawn area. The newly opened building has become a space popular for yoga and tai chi classes, gardening classes, and community meetings.

Resilient interior finishes were designed to provide long term durability and sustainability while ensuring the project remained cost-effective. The existing concrete floors were polished and sealed. The existing joist system was painted a dark bronze and LED halo lights were installed in the main flex space. A small, energy efficient CMU addition was added to the west side of the building, allowing for new restrooms, storage, and mechanical / electrical spaces to thermally buffer the original building.

The exterior of the metal building was designed to complement and engage the park. A new trellis system shades the most exposed facades oriented towards the park, creating a pleasing, wall buffered with Florida native plants. The south elevation is shaded by new, local foliage. 

This project was completed for under $500,000.