Art museums are often dedicated to the conservation and restoration of art. Lux Art Institute believes that protection and conservation begins outside the museum walls and is committed to creating an appealing and inviting campus that uses only native plant species.

California native plants are plants that live and grow naturally without direct, or indirect human intervention. California native plants are in rapid decline in their land of origin due to pressures from urban development, agriculture, overgrazing, recreation, and invasive non-native species. Lux teamed with noted landscape designer Greg Rubin of California's Own Native Landscape Design to select an exquisite array of more than 750 rare plants that live and grow naturally in the region without needing special maintenance, fertilizers or pesticides. These plants also use up to 50 percent less water, are resistant to drought and freezes, and help prevent erosion.

Additionally, native plants generally support many more species of native wildlife than non-native plants. They promote biodiversity, offering the food, nectar, cover, and nesting areas that local birds, butterflies, and mammals need--especially desirable considering Lux is located amidst a wildlife preserve. The Lux grounds are unique among San Diego’s local institutions and are setting a precedent for sustainable gardening in the region. A tour through Lux’s gardens offers visitors an inviting aesthetic that’s also ecologically friendly—and provides inspiration as well as a recipe for creating a native landscape.

Lux Art Institute, located in Encinitas, Calif., opened its doors to the public in November 2007 and is redefining the modern museum experience with its artist-in-residence program. Artists live and work on site, while producing a commissioned work of art. Throughout the year, Lux invites significant regional, national, and international artists to participate in the Lux residency and encourages visitors from across the country to observe and engage with them. This one-of-a-kind institution invites visitors to not only “see art,” but also to “see art happen.” Slated to be the first “green” (LEED certified) art museum in California and located alongside one of Southern California’s remaining coastal wetlands, Lux’s four-acre site overlooks the San Elijo Lagoon and is surrounded by a wildlife preserve that stretches to the Pacific Ocean. In an effort to seamlessly meld the conservation and restoration of art beyond the museum walls, an array of rare native plants blends naturally into the nearby preserve. Santa Monica, California-based Renzo Zecchetto, AIA – whose other significant architectural projects include the award-winning Church of the Nativity in Fairbanks Ranch, Calif. and the Alusa Printing Company in Santiago, Chile – designed the two-story building to utilize energy-saving strategies such as the use of natural light and recycled materials to preserve resources for future generations.

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