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PROFILE
A landscape architecture student who has a passion for the outdoors and the sense of wonder it provides people. With experience in a broad scope of projects including adaptive reuse, urban design schemes, and concept and detailing, he has developed a knowledgeable foundation that will support the work of any landscape project. Combining abstract thinking with technical proficiency allows him to push projects further while focusing on the equitable and sustainable design aspects that benefit people and the environment.
Indian Cave State Park Visitor Center
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Collaborating with Nebraska State Parks and Indian Cave State Park employees, this project envisions a new visitor center building fully integrated into a new site design. Elements of the newly designed landscape include a new entry plaza, a natural playscape, interpretive trails, and scenic overlooks. The goals of this project are to reimagine the user experience upon entering the park, and connect users through interpretive elements which celebrate the unique ecologic makeup and paleolithic history of the area. The design takes input from state and local agencies and utilizes cost effective and sustainable design approaches in it’s building and landscape applications.
Project Description Location
Course Team
Plaza And Playscape Plan
The primary components of the design are in the entry plaza and the natural playscape. The design is founded upon a strong axial relationship, which leads users into the plaza and through the visitor center towards expansive views of the site, and the secondary axis runs parallel between the two structures and into the natural playscape. The entry plaza contains a native wetland ecological system which acts as a stormwater management tactic. The playscape is organized around a primary loop pathway which connects to a variety of secondary and tertiary routes and activity settings. The activity settings offer a variety of affordances for playing and learning.
Playscape Activity Settings
Playscape Sections
Playscape Design Strategy
The design of the playscape was heavily inspired by the different ecological zones of the region. The three ecological zones that were incorporated into the playscape were the oak forest, the oak savanna, and the bluffs. The 3 of these were expressed as separate biotopes within the playscape, with each expressing the unique planting typologies they possess. The playscape activity settings also relate to the biotopes that they reside in, with the affordances revolving around the characteristics of each biotope.
