The Water + Life Museums in Hemet, Calif., lie at the entrance of California’s 4,500-acre (1,800-hectare) Diamond Valley Lake and are spread over 23 acres (9 hectares). The museums consist of slender steel towers that make up The Center for Water Education and the Western Center for Archeology and Paleontology, celebrating southern California’s water infrastructure. The museums feature educational exhibits, research labs, specimen storage, classrooms, gift shops, administration and meeting rooms. The mission of the water museum is to develop the public as stewards of water and water conservation. The archeological center houses an interactive theater, research lab and specimen storage of Pleistocene era bedrock. The project utilized 38,500 square feet (3,577 m2) of 22/26-gauage Formawall Dimension Series 2-inch (51-mm) striated insulated panels with Acrylic Applied Coating in Plain Mill Finish Smooth by CENTRIA, Moon Township, Pa.
The museum campus achieved LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council through the use of solar panels, interior lighting, and insulated panels that make the buildings a living example of sustainability and conservation, further connecting the notions of water and life. CENTRIA’s Formawall Dimension Series are the first exterior building products to achieve Cradle to Cradle Certification. Lehrer + Gangi Design + Build in Hemet was the architect/ contractor on the project. Pacific Erectors, Rocklin, Calif., was the dealer.
