Photo Credit: Wight & Company
Nature centers are special places with unique purposes. These centers exist to connect people with the natural environment and to bring to life stories of the animals, plants, and insects that make the area their homes. They also help bring to life aspects of nature that are hidden or not well understood. Stories of social history and development, and their impacts—both positive and negative—are part of the tale these places tell, too.
The first nature center we designed at Wight & Company was located on a remnant prairie in Glenview, Ill. During one of the earliest site visits before design started, we were accompanied by a team member who commented that he thought the site was just a collection of weeds and had wondered when a developer was going to put “something of value” there. The Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center focuses visitors’ attention on the stories of the prairie, its deep hidden roots, the historic value of plants as pharmacopeia for Native Americans living in the area, and more.
The buildings that house these lessons are at their best when the architecture also reflects the uniqueness of the site. And sustainability has a large role to play in the expression of these buildings, as stewardship and sensitivity to their surroundings is fundamental in the design. Over the last 10 years, we have designed three nature centers, all located in northern Illinois within a 50-mile radius. In addition to a remnant prairie, one is a hardwood savannah, and the third sits at the edge of a floodplain for the West Branch of the DuPage River.