Context
Maine Audubon is the largest and oldest non-profit conservation organization in the state, working to preserve Maine’s wildlife and habitats by engaging the public in education and active stewardship. In 2022, Audubon requested a Master Plan for development that would serve its mission and growing programs into the future, as well as provide a better visitor experience, improve working conditions for its employees, and enhance the natural habitats at four of its eight sanctuaries.
The Plan was to address programmatic needs and best uses of existing buildings at Gilsland Farm – a 65-acre sanctuary and education center in Falmouth and the location of the organization’s headquarters – and the sanctuaries at Mast Landing, Scarborough Marsh, and Fields Pond. We worked with the organization’s staff and board members, as well as key community members and neighbors of Gilsland Farm, to produce a two-phase Master Plan guided by shared values of conservation and community engagement.
The design – crafted in partnership with Aceto Landscape Architects and Acorn Engineering – balances growth with preservation by embracing extant infrastructure and a carefully contained development footprint. Environmental education is supported both directly and indirectly through the increased capacity of learning facilities and the living demonstration of wildlife protection strategies and sustainable, bird-safe building.
New construction – to include a Barn focused on native plants education and a Stewardship Annex – will achieve Net Zero Energy and is scheduled to begin in 2025, with further work at all four sites expected in the coming years. The continuing evolution of the existing farmyard defines the design and character of the new facilities. Access to and enjoyment of the sanctuaries’ built and natural areas will improve with a redesigned entry sequence for visitors to the Farm and the introduction of ADA-accessible trails at every site.
Response
Phase I of the completed Master Plan for Maine Audubon prioritizes improvements to the organization’s headquarters at Gilsland Farm and establishes a foundation that future work – including developments at other sanctuaries, fundraising efforts, and ongoing community engagement – can build upon.
A new threshold and sense of arrival for the sanctuary will welcome and orient visitors. The existing historic farmhouse serves as the starting point for a series of new buildings of varied character, whose form and scale reflect the uses within and significantly grow the organization’s ability to host gatherings and activities. A new Stewardship Annex will serve the organization’s Properties and Conservation departments with much needed space to work and store the maintenance equipment used in sanctuaries throughout the state. Both departments will operate out of the nearby farmhouse, which will undergo a careful, budget-conscious renovation to create a healthier, energy-efficient, and modern workspace. A new barn will provide additional storage with a primary function of hosting educational programming. New construction and renovation-work alike will embrace inclusive design to maximize the accessibility and enjoyment of the Farm for all.
Maine Audubon strives to build environmentally exemplary buildings and demonstrate the potential of development to support and even improve natural landscapes and conditions. The Farm’s new facilities are designed to achieve a 72% reduction from baseline Energy Use Intensity; with rooftop photovoltaic arrays, the campus will achieve net positive energy and generate more than enough power to service the barn, exterior lighting, farmhouse offices, and four new EV chargers. Our energy models and analysis indicate the photovoltaic arrays will generate approximately $214,090 worth of electricity over 25 years, with a payback period of the initial investment within 7.84 years.
