Under Construction: DMNS’ Morgridge Family Exploration Center on track to open Feb. 2014

By Rebecca Voll

A three-story, $70 million wing that will feature new exhibits, improved educational access, and green building technology is on schedule to open in February 2014 at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
The new wing will be called the Morgridge Family Exploration Center in honor of the lead donor to the project, the Morgridge Family Foundation. In addition to major donor gifts, many individual community members have donated toward construction of the addition. Another recent development in the project was the removal of the heavy construction cranes.
“We are very excited to open the new wing,” said Bridget Coughlin, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Programs at DMNS. “[It] will be home to an array of amazing new school and public programs.”
Among the new programs announced is the Kaiser Permanente Discovery Zone, a hands-on experiential learning area geared toward younger children.
“I’ve been really excited about the plan for a bigger Discovery Zone,” said Shauna Veen, Park Hill neighbor and mother of a four-year-old. “Those of us with kids have a lot to gain from this expansion.”
Another planned addition is the Anschutz Gallery, a space on the third floor designed to accommodate traveling exhibitions. The Gallery’s inaugural exhibition, “Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed,” is set to coincide with the wing’s ribbon cutting.
Coughlin discussed the impact of the new DMNS wing on traffic flow in the Park Hill community. “Importantly, the wing and new road configuration will allow for buses to have safer and faster student drop off, turnaround and parking. We know the congestion and confusion the buses have caused will be reduced greatly with the thoughtful new drop off and parking plan,” she said.
The 126,000 square foot Morgridge Family Exploration Center incorporates a recycled water pipeline, a new technology that will increase the efficiency of the space’s heating and cooling systems – the Department of Energy partially funded the system. Other green technologies planned for the addition include rooftop photovoltaic solar panels, automated shading louvers on the exterior of the building, xeriscape landscaping, and “daylight harvesting,” which reduces the need for electric lights. The wing was designed to receive LEED Platinum Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council when completed.
Not only does the design merit environmental accolades, it aesthetically underscores how science and nature complement each other through the southern glass wall overlooking City Park.
Coughlin thinks the Museum’s new wing will be a boon to the people of Park Hill. “Personally, I am excited that the Museum will be able to welcome our Park Hill neighbors to the ribbon cutting,” she explained. “This is the community’s Museum and we’re looking forward to sharing the new Morgridge Family Exploration Center with them.”