Bernheim Arboretum Visitor Center

This LEED Platinum visitor center embodies the client’s mission of “finding new ways to connect nature with people’s everyday lives.”

Nestled into a wooded ridgeline between the plant nursery and an open prairie, the center takes cues from the surrounding forest to become at once unique and at home in this place. Pergolas, trellises, and arbors gather the landscape at the perimeter. A simple post-and-beam structure of reclaimed and sustainably harvested woods—including cypress planks salvaged from pickle barrels—echoes the rhythms of the trees and frames views of the surroundings. Like the forest of which it’s a part, the building captures light, water, and air to the benefit of the surrounding landscape. Much of the roof is vegetated, producing oxygen and absorbing rainwater. Photovoltaics produce energy on site. Ponds collect rainwater for reuse and provide visual, acoustic, and thermal comfort. Geothermal heating and cooling creates a quiet environment and connects the building to the earth. The visitor center design represents a magical opportunity – the design of a building like a tree.