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Orange Audubon Nature Center at Apopka Birding Park wins AIA Orlando Design Award 

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The Orange Audubon Nature Center at Apopka Birding Park has won an  American Institute of Architecture (AIA) Orlando 2025 Design Award of Merit in the Unbuilt Category.  Presented annually and judged by an independent expert panel, the prestigious AIA awards celebrate exemplary architectural design. 

Related: Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive turns 10.

Located at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive entrance, the Nature Center will transform an abandoned building (a former truck repair shop) into a 3,400-square-foot, low-carbon, sustainability-focused educational visitor center. Part of a larger restoration project with a lease agreement from the  City of Apopka, the Center celebrates the region’s rich ecological heritage while exemplifying restoration, education, and regenerative design. 

“This center symbolizes the spirit of regeneration and education that has guided the restoration of Lake  Apopka,” says Deborah Green, President of the Orange Audubon Society. “It’s not just a place for  birdwatching; it’s a call to action for conservation.” 

Designed by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, the Center features ADA-accessible classroom space, interactive exhibits, and a gallery of rotating displays. Inspired by bird wings, its design maximizes daylight and provides expansive landscape views. The LEED Silver-certified facility incorporates solar studies, daylighting analysis, and a rooftop PV array and aims to achieve net-zero energy use upon completion. 

The Center is part of a larger restoration project, which includes restoring 70 acres of once-neglected land with native plants, birdwatching observation sites, and walking trails, as part of a lease agreement with the City of Apopka. 

About Little Diversified Architectural Consulting 

Little is a national transdisciplinary design firm recognized for crafting exceptional solutions that elevate client performance through sustainable, regenerative design. With more than 450 professionals across the U.S., the firm combines traditional architectural services (architecture, engineering,  interior architecture) with proficiency in additional architectural consulting services (planning, sustainability, site design, brand consulting, digital visualization, and smart building technologies).  Little is committed to building a better future through innovative design and collaborative partnerships. 

For more information, visit littleonline.com.  

About Orange Audubon Society 

Orange Audubon is a Central Florida chapter of National Audubon, with 2,000 member households, an all-volunteer board, and a part-time Education Coordinator implementing school programs. Orange  Audubon’s mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and their habitats,  to benefit humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. Developing the Orange Audubon Nature  Center at the Apopka Birding Park is a significant project for which the chapter is actively fundraising.

For more information, visit orangeaudubonfl.org

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