Hawley Construction Corporation the general contractor for the Darien Nature Center, a project dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the natural world. The building itself is a living example of nature: A rustic New England barn-style timber frame, erected using the classic post-and-beam construction methods dating back to colonial times.
This extraordinary, state-of-the-art education center is nearly 7,000 SF, and is an extremely environmentally-friendly building. It is constructed of recycled materials and is bermed into the insulating earth, on a one-acre, sloping site. The building even uses roofing made from recycled auto tires! Every effort was made to preserve the natural surroundings, including the retention of 11 different varieties of trees.
The Center’s main exhibit floor is twice the normal ceiling height, permitting the creation of dramatic exhibit areas in rooms with oversized windows that draw the outdoors into the building, framing the sky, trees, and the nature trails beyond.
