This new 4,400 square foot facility was designed to tie-in with the adjacent buildings in Tautphaus Park, while using materials that connect it to its natural environment. Elements including dark cultured stone and wood timbers are reminiscent of the volcanic basalt rock, forested mountains, and historic log cabins of the region. The interior colors and finishes were selected with natural elements in mind and include: clear sealed concrete, solid live edge wood, clear sealed wood planks, and natural toned colors. The goal of the design was to bring the natural beauty of the outdoors to the inside of the facility.

Flexibility was also a key component of the design, allowing for use by various user groups of differing sizes, ages, and demographics. The building is comprised of three meeting/classrooms designed to facilitate 25-30 students, but also allowing for all three spaces to open up into one large event space able to accommodate 150 people. Each of the three classrooms are separated by folding operable panel partition walls that allow separation visually and acoustically from room to room. Additionally, two spaces can be combined into one, affording for a wide range of classroom sizes and functions. The classroom spaces are all equipped with counters that include sinks and faucets that allow for a variety of learning opportunities. The flooring surfaces throughout the classrooms are a blended rubber/carpet material that resists staining and are easily cleaned of spills.

In order to keep ongoing use and maintenance costs down, the building was designed with many energy efficient features, including: LED lighting, daylight sensors, occupancy sensors, and building management controls. This allows the users to reduce lighting electricity usage to the minimum necessary. Heating and cooling systems are simple forced air systems utilizing natural gas for heating, allowing for high efficiency ratings and easy maintenance.

This facility received the Idaho Recreation Association’s Outstanding Facility Award in 2019.