With the recent opening of The Lodge at Gulf State Park in Orange Beach, AL, the annual AIA Alabama meeting started off with a tour of The Lodge and the environmental education center of the park. With an increased focus on environmental issues, the tour centered on how the architect and owner (the state of Alabama) have taken steps to mitigate, through design, the human impact on the living environment. The use of FSC certified lumber, as well as recycled waste content and the collection of rainwater for use on site, are just a few of the design considerations that were used in the park and lodge construction.