Metal roofing and siding from AEP Span of West Sacramento, CA, were among the key products utilized in the design of the newly completed Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in Bellevue, WA.

The center is comprised of a series of buildings built into the forest at the edge of Mercer Slough. It is a gathering space for nature lovers and an environmental education center for people of all ages.

Mark Johnson of Jones & Jones Architects said the center’s construction was a result of a public/private partnership at the ownership and use level between the City of Bellevue and Pacific Science Center. It serves as an educational facility for King County students and a visitor education center for the public, said Johnson.

Companies involved in the center’s design and construction, in addition to the architect, were Axiom Construction, handling the installation of the metal roof panels, and Berschauer Phillips Construction Company, general contractor.

The buildings and surrounding observation platforms float anywhere from 6’ to 30’ above the ground via helical pilings and concrete pile caps for both soil stabilization and low impact development purposes.

Two of the buildings feature vegetative roofs while the rest are topped with AEP Span’s Span Lock hp metal roofs in Cool Metallic Silver. The paint has been shown in studies to help limit the urban heat island effect by reflecting rather than absorbing the sun’s rays.

The AEP wall product featured on the buildings is 24-gauge Reverse Box Rib in a Cool Zactique II color. Approximately 70 squares of the material were utilized on the project.

The center also benefits from passive ventilation and natural shading provided by the surrounding trees. These features are expected to reduce air conditioning demands by up to 30%.

To learn more about the energy saving benefits of AEP Span’s cool roofing and siding products, with a focus on residential systems, visit http://www.aepspan.com/green/index.html.