Watertown, CT

Set into the hillside, the site design integrates the new building with the natural park landscape through native habitat restoration.

Located within Black Rock State Park, the DEEP [Department of Energy & Environmental Protection] Western District Headquarters is the State of Connecticut’s first Net Zero Executive Building. Taking advantage of the natural topography, the building is constructed into the hillside and is located to maximize solar orientation. The facility supports several divisions with the DEEP, providing general office space, conference and training rooms, laboratory and workspace, space for police operations, and public access areas and connections to the state park activity areas. The lower level of the site houses the Park Operations & Maintenance facility.

The site design includes extensive native plantings intended to restore and support natural park habitats, blending the new facility with the surrounding landscape. Habitat areas include a pollinator/wildflower meadow, woodlands, transitional woodland edges, and a low mow fescue grass meadow. A welcoming entry terrace framed by a natural stone seat wall provides an outdoor gathering space with views across a sloping meadow. To better support the native vegetation being installed, the previously disturbed soils on the site are restored to their original Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil classification as part of the LEED Platinum certification.