Canyon Country Discovery Center
Blanding, Utah
Award of Merit
Owner: Four Corners School of Outdoor Education
Lead Design Firm: MHTN Architects
General Contractor: Hogan & Associates Construction
Civil Engineer: Platt & Platt Inc.
Structural Engineer: BHB Structural Engineers
MEP Engineer: Van Boerum & Frank Associates
Electrical Engineer: Electrical Consulting Engineers LLC (ECE)
Subcontractors: J&M Steel Solutions Inc.; Rocky Mountain Millwork & Fixture Co.; Redd Mechanical Inc.; Hustad Mechanical Inc. (HMI); Lyle Northern Electric Inc.; Red Valley Builders LLC; Preferred Fire Protection Inc.
Canyon Country Discovery Center is the headquarters of the Four Corners School of Outdoor Education, a nonprofit that promotes learning about the Colorado Plateau through educational, service, adventure and conservation programs. Located in Blanding, the new complex was built to have a minimal impact on the environment. Hogan & Associates Construction built the center using a variety of natural materials, including stone, pine and Douglas Fir.
The building offers educational and conference space for 170 people as well as amenities such as a library, theater, field laboratory, greenhouse, technology and computer center, gift shop and woodshop. The grounds are landscaped as a “nature play park,” with local juniper, pinion and sagebrush. The 48-acre site includes two miles of trails for hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
The center has been a boon for the local economy. It already has created 40 jobs, and visitors are expected to contribute $3.6 million annually to Utah’s San Juan County.
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