Most current environmental education is web based or communicated through classroom teaching. When students do venture out of the classroom, environmental education centers are typically located in relatively pristine “natural environments.” The extreme impact and complex relationship between human settlement and the natural world is frequently not investigated. Also, the architectural design of the center itself is rarely conceived of as a crucial part of the curriculum. In an environment like the Hampton Roads region, including the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, the heavily industrialized Elizabeth River is an important generator of livelihoods and learning. Most K-12 school children have little opportunity to experience the river firsthand, especially to go out on the water and investigate. In collaboration with the Elizabeth River Project and other partners, a team of University of Virginia students and faculty have designed a floating environmental education field station to engage urban kids in hands-on exploration and learning about the Elizabeth.