This pavilion in the park is located on a 9-acre site at the juncture of the natural woods and manicured grass of the city park. The building acts as a bridge and entry into the inner portion of the woods where visitors of all ages find a multitude of interactive, educational experiences.
The glassy perimeter of the exhibit gallery is designed to connect the interior and exterior landscapes together, providing a broad and varied play and learning environment. The playful building columns and undulating roofline shades from the harsh summer sun but allows the warm winter light to assist with heating the building. The natural daylight reduces the need for artificial lighting. The honeycomb glass at the building’s entry is a bright-yellow, glowing beacon that transforms views as visitors pass by. The west wall transforms the landscape and the interior environment and is shaded with colored glass representing the wavelengths of light in the visible light spectrum.
Natural prairie grasses and rain gardens dot the site, filtering site runoff and providing educational experiences. Careful exterior wall detailing, a high efficiency heating and cooling system, and design that maximizes the available daylight and solar exposure significantly reduces energy usage.
*work prior to forming clark | huesemann
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