Shape Architecture Studio and Superbloom Landscape Architecture partnered with Bluff Lake Nature Center to design a new net-zero welcome and education center that supports the nonprofit’s expanding public, educational, and stewardship mission. Located within the 123-acre Bluff Lake Nature Center wildlife refuge in Northeast Denver, the building serves as a clear point of arrival for visitors while strengthening equitable access to nature for surrounding communities including Central Park, Montbello, Northwest Aurora, Park Hill, and Commerce City.

As visitation and educational programming have grown alongside nearby neighborhoods, Bluff Lake Nature Center identified the need for a permanent, on-site facility that could welcome guests, support learning, and house staff. The new center provides flexible indoor and outdoor spaces for education, gathering, and orientation, while allowing the organization to maintain a daily presence on the land it stewards.

Conceived as a gateway to the larger landscape, the building draws visitors through its form and outward toward the site beyond. The building is organized as two volumes connected by a covered passage that acts as a gateway, guiding guests into the nature center while providing a sheltered waiting area, clear wayfinding, and space for interpretation and information. Large overhangs extend the usable space of the building, creating outdoor learning and gathering areas while supporting photovoltaic panels that help meet the project’s net-zero energy goals.

The southern, public building includes two classroom spaces that are designed to function independently or combine into a larger multipurpose room, with expansive views overlooking the lake below and the mountains beyond. Adjacent sink and storage areas support art-making and hands-on education/ research, while a new outdoor classroom beneath generous roof overhangs provides shaded space for lab work and group learning. An indoor-outdoor lobby welcomes visitors and offers seating for individuals and groups who may not continue down to the lower landscape and pond.

In the north building, new staff spaces are integrated into the design and include shared work areas, conference and breakout rooms, small meeting rooms, private offices, and a shared kitchen. For the first time, these spaces allow Bluff Lake Nature Center staff to have a permanent on-site presence, strengthening daily stewardship and operational capacity. A new water line extending to the bottom of the bluff supports expanded summer camp and school programming.

Equity and accessibility were central to the project vision. A new, extensive ADA-compliant pathway provides access to the lower landscape and is paired with a stair that intersects the ramp at each switchback, allowing multigenerational families and people with varying mobility needs to move through the site together. 

Sustainability strategies include all-electric mechanical systems paired with a large photovoltaic array designed to achieve annual net-zero energy use, a low-carbon all-wood structure with exposed glulam and timber framing, durable natural wood siding, native and low-water plantings, and on-site stormwater management through rain gardens.

Open as of February 2025!