This document discusses community environmental issues in Las Vegas and the role of the Springs Preserve in raising awareness. It outlines growing pressures on Las Vegas' infrastructure from population growth, including water scarcity and waste management challenges. The Desert Living Center at Springs Preserve aims to educate residents on sustainable living and foster a new cultural identity through its exhibits and programs. It will serve as a model for minimizing environmental impact through its design and use of local materials.

1. Changing Community Environmental
Awareness Through Museum Programs
Isaac Marshall, Principal
AldrichPears Associates Ltd.
imarshall@aldrichpears.com
Jeff Roberts, Architect and Foundation Board Member
Springs Preserve
jeffr@serapdx.com
Aaron Micalef, Curator of Exhibits
Springs Preserve
aaron.micallef@springspreserve.org

2. LAS VEGAS:
Concerns
and Community
How Can
We Help?
July 2005

3. LAS VEGAS IS GROWING
• Clark County’s population:
1,641,529
• Increasing by 6,000 people
a month
• Las Vegas is the fastest
growing metropolitan area
in the US

4. RESIDENTIAL GROWTH
Growth has reached the outer
limits of development
• 29,248 new home sales
in 2004 - up 15.9%
from 2003
• New home permits totaled
32,879 – up 30.4%
• The median price of a new
home in December rose to
$290,287 – up 38.5%

5. TRANSIENT POPULATION
• Only 20.4% of Las Vegans
were born in Nevada, the
lowest in the US; the national
average is 61.8%
• Over 25% have lived in the
city less than 5 years

6. EXPANDING SCHOOLS
• Clark County School District
is the single largest employer
• 12 new schools will open
in 2005-06

7. IMPACT OF TOURISM
• Gaming, hotel and hospitality
industry employs approximately
30% of Las Vegans
• Las Vegas had 131,503 hotel
rooms in 2004, the most of
any US city
• Every new hotel room attracts
10 new workers

8. TOURISM GROWTH
• 37,388,781 tourists in 2004
• Contributed $33,723,919,453
• Tourist numbers continue
to increase
• Airport traffic is up 7% to 18
million visitors so far this year

9. tHe touriStS
• Average length of stay: 3.6 nights
• Most visitors come from the Western
States: 48%
• Most come from California: 32%
• Percentage of first-time visitors: 19%
• Average number of repeat trips taken
in one year: 1.6

10. CURRENT ISSUES
Increasing resident and tourist
numbers place serious pressure
on infrastructure:
• Water resources
• Waste management
• Air quality
• Social issues

11. WATER RESOURCES
• Residents use as much as
90% of the drinking water
supply to irrigate their lawns
in the summer
Schools/Govt./Parks
4.7%
Based upon 2003 municipal
metered potable and non-potable water
consumption in the Southern Nevada
Water Authority’s member service area.
USE OF WATER BY CUSTOMER TYPE
Single-Family
Residential
43.4%
Multi-Family
Residential
15.6%
Golf Courses 8.3%
Commercial/
Industrial
13.6%
Resorts 6.7%
Common Areas
3.9%
Other 3.8%

12. WATER RESOURCES
• By 2008, demand for water
is forecast to exceed supply
Reclaimed Water
Colorado River Water
Return-Flow Credits
Colorado River Water
Consumption Use
Unused Nevada (Non-SNWA)
Colorado River Water
Projected Demand
Groundwater
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
2028
2030
2032
2034
2036
2038
2040
2042
2044
2046
2048
2050
acre-feet/year
1,200,000
1,100,000
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
SUMMARY OF PROJECTED WATER
DEMANDS AND EXISTING RESOURCES

13. WATER USE AND WASTE
• Southern Nevada uses 25%
more water per capita over
Phoenix, Arizona
• About 30 billion gallons of
water is wasted annually

14. WASTE MANAGEMENT
• Over 2 million tons of waste
is produced annually
• Clark County generates 8.3
lbs of waste per capita per
day - 45% higher than the
national average
• 278,000 pounds of food
waste generated per month
at the Bellagio alone

15. RECYCLING INTENT
• Recycling goals set
by Nevada State: 25%
of MSW
• Las Vegans recycle only
17%; the national average
is 29.7%
• Curb-side residential
recycling only accounts
for 3-4% of this amount
National Average
29.7%
Las Vegans
17%

16. RESIDENTIAL
RECYCLING PROGRAMS
• Curb-side recycling is picked
up only twice a month
• No program is set up for
apartment buildings; 39% of
total housing are multi-family
dwellings
• Most commercial recycling
centers focus on big business

17. ENERGY RESOURCES
• Most power is generated
by burning non-renewable
resources: coal, oil, and
natural gas
• Nevada imports more than
95% of its energy

18. ENERGY RESOURCES
• Renewables account for only
4% of electricity generated,
mostly from geothermal
power plants
2001 ELECTRICITY GENERATION
BREAKDOWN
Other 4%
Hydro 7%
Natural Gas
34%
Petroleum 3%
Coal 52%

19. RENEWABLE RESOURCES –
POTENTIAL
• Nevada is one of the best
states for wind and solar
potential
• Less than one tenth of one
percent of Nevada’s land
could generate all of the
state’s current electricity
needs
• Solar and wind energy could
produce over 100 million
MWh annually

20. AIR QUALITY
• Clark County ranks among
the worst 10% of all US
counties in terms of air quality
• High rates of Carbon
Monoxide, PM-10 (dust
matter), and Ozone

21. AIR QUALITY
• In 1985, the Valley logged a
record 48 unhealthy air days
due to carbon monoxide
• Still fails to meet the national
ambient air quality standards
for PM-10

22. THE CAR MINDSET
• Increasing number of
commuters drive alone
• Carpoolers and public transit
commuters are decreasing
• 43% of tourists arrive
by vehicle
• 57% of tourists use vehicles
within the city

23. VEHICLE EMISSIONS
• Vehicle emissions are the
single largest contributor to
air pollution in Las Vegas
• Exhaust accounts for 85%
of carbon monoxide air
pollution in Clark County

24. CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY
• Almost half of the
particulate pollution from
fuel combustion comes
from construction vehicles—
nearly 2,500 tons of exhaust
per year
• Construction activity also
puts more than 63% of the
valley’s dust into the air—
46,000 tons per year

25. SOCIAL ISSUES
• 13,000 homeless people in
Las Vegas – up from 7,887
a year ago
• Affordable housing has
a two-year waiting list

26. THE BIG PICTURE
What is sustainable living?
How can it be achieved?
• Joint effort between
government, business,
and individuals
• Community building
and education

27. OUR ROLE -
DESERT LIVING CENTER
• Awareness
• Education
• Practice
• Community-building

28. The Springs Preserve is a 180-acre non-gaming
cultural and historical attraction designed to
commemorate Las Vegas’ dynamic history and to
provide a vision for a sustainable future.

29. The Springs Preserve:
Alta Drive
Highway 95
South Valley View Blvd
Nevada
State Museum
Desert Living
Center
South
Ticket Booth
Gardens
Origen
Experience
Cienega
Water Works
Guest
Services
Orientation
Plaza
Visitor Parking
Bus Parking
Visitor Parking
Main Entrance
Service
Entrance
- Origen Experience
- Desert Living Center
- Gardens/Trails
- Nevada State Museum
- Support Functions (on site and nearby)
Guest Services (ticketing, food and retail)
Water Works (LVVWD pump station)
Hydrogen fuelling station
Nevada State Museum
Desert Living
Center
Sustainable
Green Products
Gallery
Welcome Gallery
Sustainability
Gallery
Rotunda
Temporary
Exhibit Building
L1 Level 1
Design Lab/
Technical Training
Center
Gardens
Amphitheater
Dr. Greenthumb
Classroom
Building
Children's
Learning
Playground
Welcome
Gallery
South
Ticket
Booth
Origen Experience
Water Works
Guest Services
Building
Orientation Plaza
Commons
Amphitheater
Big Springs Theater
L2
L2
Elevator
Bus Stop
Parking
First Aid
Restrooms
Ticketing
Water Works
Nevada State Museum
Origen Experience
Orientation Plaza
Guest Services Building
Classroom Building
Green Products Gallery
Rotunda
Temporary Exhibit Building
Sustainability Gallery
Design Lab/ Technical Training Center
Gardens Amphitheater
Dr.Greenthumb
South Ticket Booth
L2 Level 2
L1
Gift Shop
Library

30. tHe dlC’S PrinCiPleS
• The DLC is designed to have a total cost
of ownership that is lower than comparably
sized buildings in Las Vegas
• it harnesses power from the wind and the sun
• looks for inspiration from environmentally
adapted, indigenous inhabitants of the
Mojave
Sustainabl e
li festyle
• The DLC’s Platinum LEED rating
• minimal impact on the Mojave Desert
• building entirely made “in and of the desert”
Community
• inspire and empower Las Vegans to
address environmental challenges they
face as residents of the Mojave Desert
• provide a range of exhibits, programs,
and resources
• Las Vegans will define themselves
as part of a Southern Nevadan culture,
with autonomous lifestyles and concerns
• The DLC will aid in fostering a new cultural
identity, one based on the environment within
which Las Vegans live
• it will stand as a place for residents to create,
define, and celebrate their culture
environment
economy
Culture
The Desert Living Center

31. Desert Living
Center
Sustainable
Green Products
Gallery
Sustainability
Gallery
Rotunda
Temporary
Exhibit Building
Design Lab/
Technical Training
Center
Gardens
Amphitheater
Dr. Greenthumb
Classroom
Building
Children's
Learning
Playground
Welcome
Gallery
South
Ticket
Booth
Guest Services
Building
L2
L2
L1
The Desert Living Center

32. The Desert Living Center:
In and of the Desert

33. DLC Inside Out

34. DLC Inside Out
Interpretive Sculptures

35. Dialogue Center:
- Conference/lecture/meeting facility
- Film studio
Desert Living
Center
Sustainable
Green Products
Gallery
Sustainability
Gallery
Rotunda
Temporary
Exhibit Building
Design Lab/
Technical Training
Center
Gardens
Amphitheater
Dr. Greenthumb
Classroom
Building
Children's
Learning
Playground
Welcome
Gallery
South
Ticket
Booth
Guest Services
Building
Orientation Plaza
L2
L2
L1

36. Temp Exhibits:
- Sustainable communities
- Climate change
- Environmental artists

37. Resource Library:
Branch of Clark County library focusing on titles related to sustainable living
Desert Living
Center
Sustainable
Green Products
Gallery
Sustainability
Gallery
Rotunda
Temporary
Exhibit Building
Design Lab/
Technical Training
Center
Gardens
Amphitheater
Dr. Greenthumb
Classroom
Building
Children's
Learning
Playground
Welcome
Gallery
South
Ticket
Booth
Guest Services
Building
Orientation Plaza
L2
L2
L1
Library

38. Sustainability Gallery
Hands-on interactive exhibits for families with children

39. Sustainability Gallery
rediscover desert Living
Nothing
Disappears
Nothing
Disappears
Nothing
Disappears
Desert Living
Center
Sustainable
Green Products
Gallery
Sustainability
Gallery
Rotunda
Temporary
Exhibit Building
Design Lab/
Technical Training
Center
Gardens
Amphitheater
Dr. Greenthumb
Do More
With Less
Do More
With Less
Do More
With Less
Classroom
Building
Children's
Learning
Playground
Welcome
Gallery
South
Ticket
Booth
Guest Services
Building
Orientation Plaza
Commons
Amphitheater
L2
L2
L1
From a drop
of water to car
exhaust, from
a gust of wind
to a coffee
cup – nothing
disappears.
You can
improve
the quality
of your
life and
use fewer
resources.
Explore the
Alternatives
Today,
there are
alternatives
and more
are being
invented
every
minute.
From a drop
of water to car
exhaust, from
a gust of wind
to a coffee
cup – nothing
disappears.
You can
improve
the quality
of your
life and
use fewer
resources.
Explore the
Alternatives
Today,
there are
alternatives
and more
are being
invented
every
minute.
From a drop
of water to car
exhaust, from
a gust of wind
to a coffee
cup – nothing
disappears.
You can
improve
the quality
of your
life and
use fewer
resources.
Explore the
Alternatives
Today,
there are
alternatives
and more
are being
invented
every
minute.

40. Sustainability Gallery Exhibits:

41. Design Lab and Tech Training Studio
- “Clean” design space
- “Dirty” hands-on space
- Covered outdoor amphitheater
Desert Living
Center
Sustainable
Green Products
Gallery
Sustainability
Gallery
Rotunda
Temporary
Exhibit Building
Design Lab/
Technical Training
Center
Gardens
Amphitheater
Dr. Greenthumb
Classroom
Building
Children's
Learning
Playground
Welcome
Gallery
South
Ticket
Booth
Guest Services
Building
Orientation Plaza
L2
L2
L1

42. Demonstration Garden

43. Changing Community Environmental Awareness through
Museum Programs
Springs Preserve
Jeff Roberts, AIA, LEED AP BD+C - WMA Session - October 8, 2014

44. What I hope to leave
you with:
An alternative perspective on “sustainable”
design.
Where do we go for the next “green” innovation.
A few brief lessons on high performance
buildings after the ribbon cutting.

45. the word
“sustainable” is
defined as
something that is
“able to be
maintained”

46. the value of
“remembrance”

47. the value of
“remembrance”

48. the value of
understanding
“place”

49. a few new terms:
“restorative”
design
“ecological”
design
“REGENERATIVE
DESiGN”

50. AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
LAS VEGAS

51. THE FIFTIES
LAS VEGAS

52. THE SIXTIES
LAS VEGAS

53. THE SEVENTIES
LAS VEGAS

54. THE EIGHTIES
LAS VEGAS

55. THE NINETIES
LAS VEGAS

56. THIS PAST DECADE
LAS VEGAS

57. • Buildings in the US consume more than 30% of our total energy and 60%
of our electricity annually.
• Buildings consume 5 billion gallons of potable water per day just to flush
toilets.
• Buildings use 40% (3 billion tons annually) of the raw materials used
globally.
• Buildings produce 30% of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions
• Buildings produce 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste in
the U.S. (approx. 2.8 lbs/person/day)
• Buildings use 12% of all potable water in the U.S.
BUILDING INDUSTRY FACTS
OUR PLANET’S LIMITED RESOURCES AS WORK

58. • A green building is a sustainable
development that provides a
framework under which
communities can use resources
efficiently, create efficient
infrastructures, protect and
enhance quality of life, and create
new businesses to strengthen their
economies.
• It can help us create healthy
communities that can sustain our
generation, as well as those that
follow ours
WHY REGENERATIVE BUILDINGS CAN HELP
OUR PLANET’S LIMITED RESOURCES

59. SPRINGS PRESERVE’S HISTORY
LUCCHESI GALATI

60. SPRINGS PRESERVE MASTER PLANNING
LUCCHESI GALATI

61. DESERT LIVING CENTER DESIGN
LUCCHESI GALATI

62. DESERT LIVING CENTER AT THE SPRINGS PRESERVE
LEED - PLATINUM CERTIFIED

63. • The Desert Living Center is a three-dimensional living building exhibit to
explore, study and educate our community on sustainable design.
• The 2200 photovoltaic arrays produce approximately 70-80% percent of
the power on site. This is equal to creating enough power for 80 homes.
• The Springs Preserve collects, and treats all of the wastewater (grey and
black water) on site through a natural process and uses it back in the
buildings for flushing toilets.
• In construction we were able to recycle 84% of our construction waste.
• Buildings are designed to achieve a 50% energy reduction over typical
construction methods.
• The Buildings are constructed from alternative materials such as straw
bale and rammed earth.
• All building interiors meet the requirements for low VOC’s.
DESERT LIVING CENTER AT THE SPRINGS PRESERVE
LEED - PLATINUM CERTIFIED

64. DESERT LIVING CENTER
SPRINGS PRESERVE, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

65. LAND/WATER

66. SYSTEMS

67. STRUCTURAL

69. TECHNICAL SUPPORT

74. THE “MATERIALS”
DESERT LIVING CENTER - UNDER CONSTRUCTION

75. Living “Green” requires a change in behavior

76. INTERPRETIVE EXPERIENCES
DESIGN DRIVERS

77. INTERPRETIVE EXPERIENCES
DESIGN DRIVERS

78. INTERPRETIVE EXPERIENCES
LESSONS LEARNED

79. INTERPRETIVE EXPERIENCES
LESSONS LEARNED

80. Reuse
Recycling
Reducing
Rejecting
Reading
React.....Restore.....REGENERATE!
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
TODAY

81. We did not inherit the earth from our parents, we are borrowing
it from our children.
— Chief Seattle
“Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over”
— old Western expression
What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet
to put it on?
— Henry David Thoreau
“THE END” OR IS IT THE START?

82. Imagine
… It’s
June
2007

83. Springs Preserve opens
just as the US is on the
precipice of a global
recession – NV and Las
Vegas hit harder than
most communities
Graphic
from
exhibit
looking
at
water
use
and
popula8on
in
Las
Vegas

84. Not everything
worked out as
planned ….
Attendance
projections
were off

85. Even with
the bad
news, there
was plenty
of good
news,
however

86. Back
to
2009
Changes
in
leadership
and
staffing
levels
con8nued
through
2011

87. Refocusing
Efforts
Strategic
Planning

88. Old Mission: Inspire
communities to sustain
our land and embrace
our culture.
New Mission: To create a
visitor experience that
builds culture and
community, inspires
environmental
stewardship, and
celebrates the vibrant
history of the Las Vegas
Valley.

89. What
Changed?
Changing
Exhibits
Live
Shows
Classes

90. What Changed
Specific To
Sustainability
Programming?
?

92. • UNLV
Solar
House
What
Else is
New?

94. Community
Partnerships

97. Education
Curriculum

98. • expanded
and
revised)
Teach the
Teacher

99. Summer
and
STEM
Camps

100. Youth Advisory
Council

101. Nature
Exchange

102. Gardening
Classes

103. WaterWorks
Exhibits

104. Education
Programming