Designed to demonstrate the importance of wildlife nutrition, the Saint Louis Zoo’s Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center provides visibility of food growth, preparation, and testing processes. Taking advantage of the adjacent Zooline Railroad’s thousands of visitors, the building is slowly revealed along a sloping green roof, which ascends from the landscape to provide an extensive greenfield area, and to accentuate the forced perspective from the train. Storage areas are contained in a large brick volume, with decorative brick soldier coursing replicating the strata of the earth removed for the building.

The first LEED-certified facility constructed at the Zoo, green concepts included high efficiency mechanical systems, low VOC coatings, local and recycled materials specification, decreased storm water runoff, and installation of the largest green roof at the Zoo. With educational facilities in the lower level, and supporting offices, prep space, cooler/freezer, and dry storage, the facility is not only a space to prepare food, but a place to research, showcase, and share the entire nutrition process.