ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

The conservatory at the Rio Grande Botanic Garden is the centerpiece of the Albuquerque Biological Park. It is comprised of two large glass pavilions; one features a Sonoran desert climate and the other features a Mediterranean climate. Computer modeling determined the necessary solar and thermal properties of glazing for each side of the building to provide the proper balance of heat and light to the plants inside. Plans called for a 7,500 square foot building, but due to the efficiency and lower cost for the building's environmental control systems, a 10,000 square foot structure was provided for the same cost.

The conservatory has been open to the public and monitored for more than two years and the results are impressive. Each pavilion sustains winter temperatures 20 to 30 degrees above outdoor lows and maintains the internal conditions that are required for desert and mediterranean plant growth with little or no outside energy input.




For further information on the Conservatory see the article, The Rio Grande Conservatory by Paul Kriescher and Edward Mazria.