Central Arizona Project Water Education Center

To say that the Central Arizona Project impacts the daily lives of almost 6 million Arizona residents and businesses across three counties—as well as tribal communities all along the Colorado River system—is an understatement. The CAP manages one of our state’s most critical and precious resources—one that allows life to exist and even thrive in our arid desert home.

For many, water seems infinite: we drink from single-use plastic bottles, it reliably flows from our taps, we water our lawns and fill our swimming pools. Actively connecting visitors to the CAP’s system makes our current water challenges relevant in their daily lives.

To do this, the Water Education Center straddles the canal, providing visitors with a visceral connection to their water source. The design for this new 10,000-sf Net-Zero Water, Energy, and Carbon facility emphasizes climate resilience and illustrates the preciousness of water via stormwater harvesting in the site and building.

Flexible multi-purpose spaces and educational exhibit spaces open to the exterior gathering space that bridges across the canal. The 27,000-sf canopy protects visitors from the desert sun and collects rainwater for reuse, culminating in an expressive scupper that frames the entry. A 6,000- sf photovoltaic array and energy-efficient radiant cooling systems supplement traditional passive design strategies such as thermal mass and self-shading.

The goal of the new Water Education Center is to be both inspirational and aspirational: the content of the exhibits will resonate long after visitors are gone, while the architecture and landscape are themselves teaching tools that demonstrate and celebrate innovative conservation and reuse strategies.

As a high-visibility project, it simultaneously affirms CAP’s stewardship of water and taxpayer dollars. On opening day, Arizona politicians will be clamoring to tour their constituents around the Water Education Center to herald CAP’s enormous strides (or—shall we say—strokes) in water management.