By LEAH WEATHERSBY

One of the great features of Carkeek Park is the Environmental Education Center. Those who have visited may have also noticed the Center's sister building, the Annex. The Annex, built in 1953, originated as home for a resident caretaker. Since then the building's uses have changed to provide a variety of community and educational functions. Unfortunately, the Annex's uses have outgrown its modest 875 square foot size.

"We don't have enough room to let a school bus full of kids take advantage of it," said Pam Kliment, project manager with the Seattle Parks Department.

The Parks Department plans to remodel the structure next year, nearly doubling the Annex's size - up to 1,700 square feet total.

Perhaps even more exciting for local conservationists is the plan to make the building environmentally friendly. The City's goal is to get a gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Building Green Council. The certifications are based on a system which considers a variety of design elements including water efficiency, energy efficiency, and the types of materials used.

Kliment said the LEED-certification will make the remodel more expensive because the City will be required to document all their environmental design elements.

"It's an incredibly thorough process - it's expensive to even apply to be in it," Kliment said. She then added, "it's more expensive for us but its the right thing to do."

Kliment said the budget for the building is about $400,000, most of which the City has already raised.

Both Kliment and longtime Carkeek Park volunteer Nancy Malmgren, chairperson of the Building Steering Committee, voiced their hope that the Annex will serve as a model for how to make future projects more environmentally friendly.

"People can come in and get ideas for their own home," Kliment said.

For more information on the Carkeek Annex remodel, call Pam Kliment at 684-7556. b