The Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center in Newport Beach, CA was consciously constructed of recycled oil filters, confiscated guns and plastic soda bottles. The 10,000-square-foot Upper Newport Bay facility is supported by recycled rebar manufactured from 2,400 pounds of seized guns, steel-belted tire cords and old oil filters. Carpet manufactured from 7,000 recycled plastic bottles covers the floor. That’s just for starters.
Mahogany, laminated from scraps of leftover wood that typically would be tossed onto a construction site trash heap, frames windows and doors. Surplus tile, rounded up from different jobs, plays in creative patterns across the walls.
Architectural Green Delight
Knowing about the discards and recyclables only makes the delight more palpable when a person spies the contemporary glass, wood and concrete facility that’s been discreetly tucked into the ground for energy savings.
The center is dedicated to interactive exhibits about the Upper Newport Bay, an ecosystem of more than 900 acres. It’s home to 165 species of birds, 20 species of mammals, 70 species of fish and more than 200 species of native plants. The center offers hikes, nature programs and special events to both the public and school children.
Environmentally Sensitive
From its inception, the planners and architects had the foresight to require a building that was environmentally sensitive and green. And who better to lead the assemblage of spare parts and recycled materials than architect Ron Yeo. He wears the nicknames of “Father Nature,” and “the Ralph Nader of O.C.” with a sense of humor.
Before Yeo and fellow architect Patrick Marr put pencil to paper, they rowed out on the bay and loaded up buckets of mud.Their idea to construct a dome-shaped building from the silt and mud of the bay turned out to be unsuitable. Yeo kept the concept alive though, studying the Shoshone Gabrielino Indians, who built shelters of tules, rushes and cattails on the site.
Energy Savings With Construction
They came up with the idea of constructing an earth-sheltered structure. Approximately half of the building is buried underground, with native grasses planted on the roof. The concept of landscaping on the roof dovetailed with one of the major goals for the center – saving energy.
It was also to be built of materials that otherwise would end up in a landfill or simply be discarded. Although constructing a large building that is totally green or made entirely out of all renewable resources is difficult, in the end, the “old” morphed into a modern building that brings hands-on renewal to those who visit.
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