Riverside Master Plan

Riverside Master Plan

Riverside Center for Imaginative Learning collaborated with Hitchcock Design Group to envision and create a Master Plan to guide future improvements that foster creativity and imaginative learning at their 22-acre campus.

Located south of Big Rock, Illinois on the shores of the Big Rock Creek, the Riverside Center provides meaningful experiences that blend the site’s natural and historical elements with the Center’s rich mission. Riverside’s Big Rock Land is an opportunity to build something new, a land that will inspire a new generation of boys to become men of creativity, courage, and faith.

The Riverside Center for Imaginative Learning Master Plan builds on the existing Riverside curriculum and site elements such as the two ponds, access to the Big Rock Creek, a forest with several magnificent old-growth trees, and the historic farmhouse. Nine outdoor spaces were designed, and each is layered with allusions to classic stories, life experiences, and symbology, handpicked for the meaningful lessons and inspirations they embody.

Proposed improvements include signature landscapes with native plantings, expansive views, clear water, and cozy lodges. Further adventure can be found at each destination with naturebased play opportunities, close-up access to nature, zip lining, boating, archery, horseback riding, and countless other activities. Areas for relaxation and contemplation also exist within woodland shelter, oversized nests and hammocks, a hobbit hole, a rustic campsite, and a new lodge building. Gatherings and celebrations of community are encouraged throughout the center on expansive observation decks, outdoor kitchens and dining areas, and throughout the buildings and entry plaza at the Center’s heart.