Zion National Park Visitor Center
Springdale, Utah

The Zion National Park Visitor Center is an award-winning example of sustainable design. The Denver Service Center, working with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, created a sustainable building that incorporates the area's natural features and energy-efficient building concepts into an attractive design that saves energy and operating expenses while protecting the environment.

SUSTAINABILITY
The facility combines a wide range of basic sustainable designs and technologies. The facility is expecting 80% energy-savings over conventional visitor centers. The park is expected to save $16,000 per year in energy costs. Following is a list of sustainable concepts incorporated into this project:

Zion Alternative Transportation System

The Zion Transportation System shifts the visitor experience from the automobile to a natural resource environment. This shift creates a seamlessness between buildings and landscape as well as between the park and the gateway community of Springdale, Utah.

Visitors are encouraged to leave their cars at designated areas in Springdale and ride environmentally friendly propane-powered buses.

One-half of the transportation system operates outside the park, thereby utilizing existing parking areas and development. This reduces traffic and improves community relations

For information about Zion National Park, Visitor Center and enery use, click here.