Cafritz Environmental Center

Accokeek, Maryland

The 13th Living Building in the world bringing children to nature to educate and inspire

Three big ideas:

Net-Positive,
Non-Toxic,
Living Building

The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Environmental Center is an education, training, and events building at Hard Bargain Farm, a renowned environmental center on a 330-acre site along the Potomac River. Certified as the 13th living building in the world, the Cafritz Center has verified its net-zero energy performance and net-zero water performance, along with other measures of site sustainability, equity, health, and beauty. Challenging site conditions encouraged the design team to look to nature for design solutions to address abundant groundwater and sub-par solar access. As a result, the Center was conceived as an elongated blade of grass nestled on a woodland edge. The building is designed to be ‘sailed’ by occupants to take advantage of daylight, breezes, views, and indoor-outdoor gathering spaces.

The building meets the ground with a porch made from salvaged recycled polymer decking that is surrounded by native planting.

The main hall is characterized by natural light, passive ventilation, heavy timber trusses, and salvaged wood paneling.

Fast Facts

Living Building Challenge Certified

Net-Zero Energy verified

Net-Zero Water verified

Redlist free

Salvaged materials throughout

Native plant landscaping

Multiple covered outdoor spaces for indoor-outdoor learning

LEED NC Platinum

“THANK YOU, thank you, thank you for being so responsive to me, the staff, board and our stakeholders! One person shared that she has been staying awake at night thinking, thinking, thinking– from all the stimulation of the charrette. She shared that as she was watching the design team doing their magic she was in awe and asking – “who are these people, and how did we get so lucky to have them here?” She expressed that she has new faith in the world that there are such passionate and committed architects and design professionals in the country! ”

– Tracy Bowen, former Executive Director, Alice Ferguson Foundation

Project Gallery

The building prominently features a solar photovoltaic panel array which creates all of Cafritz's energy as well as energy for the neighboring dorm building on campus.

The building is approached flows up terraced seating to the deck, which then moves between the main hall and the restroom wing.

The building meets the ground with a porch made from salvaged recycled polymer decking that is surrounded by native planting.

These bi-facial solar panels extend over an outside space to provide shelter from rain and dappled light between the photocells.

The main hall is characterized by natural light, passive ventilation, heavy timber trusses, and salvaged wood paneling.

The main hall is used for everything from lectures and catered events to nature based experiments and teaching.

The heavy timber trusses were locally fabricated and are designed to be disassembled at their end of life so they can be reused.

The building is equipped with energy and water metering systems that are linked to a building dashboard system which shows the real-time energy and water balance.

The project began with a community design charrette that included the technical and design study of multiple sites on the property.

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