Story-Based Design

STORY-BASED DESIGN

GWWO STRIVES TO ENRICH THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

THROUGH RESPONSIBLE DESIGN THAT IS INSPIRATIONAL, EVOCATIVE AND PROGRESSIVE.

Story-based design is the focused, in-depth exploration of a project’s context—cultural, historical and physical.

GWWO’s work is driven by a consistent philosophical approach, rather than a predetermined style. Our philosophy is founded in the exploration of the relationships between narrative and context. We believe that for architecture to be truly meaningful, it should expand the traditional notions of context—setting, scale, massing, materiality—to include the cultural and historical aspects of the site and organization. Through extensive research into each project, we discover the essential component of context that can inextricably tie architecture to its setting. Once established, this core idea is rigorously adhered to and influences every aspect of the design. Utilizing this story-based design approach, a unique response for each project unfolds. Our interpretive centers and museums are more than just containers for exhibits: they are an integral part of each client’s story-telling.

“Our staff couldn’t be happier with the impact the Heritage Center has had on the monument. The building, exhibits, and film really help us do our job of explaining and interpreting homesteading history for our visitors. The many years of work and planning of the building were very much worth it.”

Mark Engler, Superintendent, Homestead National Monument of America

Homestead Heritage Center

Inspired by the homesteading experience, the design of the Homestead Heritage Center creates a distinguishable form on the landscape and offers an experience of surprise and discovery.

The visitor experience parallels that of the historic migration. Moving east to west, like the original settlers, visitors embark on a metaphorical journey traveling backwards to the virgin prairie that was the destination for so many courageous and tenacious homesteaders. Visitors park their cars in the one-acre square parking lot (1/160th of a homestead) and approach on foot, symbolic of the struggle the homesteaders faced as they neared their new homes.

Appearing to grow from the land, the simple yet evocative roof form suggests imagery associated with the American frontier: a plowshare, the billowing canvas of a covered wagon, a furrow in the earth.

A site wall binds the path to the building and provides protection against the whipping prairie winds. Silhouettes of each of the homesteading states adorn the wall, each depicting a visual representation of the percentage of land successfully homesteaded in each state.

As one enters the center, an expansive view of the restored prairie dominates—the same view that greeted the homesteaders 150 years ago—emphasizing the untouched vastness that was the West. From this vantage point, visitors recognize the challenges the homesteaders faced and the immense influence they had on farming and the development of the American Midwest.

Immersive Visitor Experiences

Visitor experiences are shaped by more than just the built form. GWWO believes in creating immersive experiences that seamlessly blend all aspects of the design—from the surrounding landscape to the building itself—to peak curiosity, encourage discovery, and imbue meaning. Our early and consistent collaboration with exhibit and landscape designers culminates in cohesive and contextual solutions that weave together the fundamental elements of each project, and results in a compelling experience of the project as a whole.

“We are very, very lucky to work with [this] architectural firm … This is an amazing thing for us. They understand this place.”

— Gay Vietzke, former Superintendent, Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine

Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine Visitor & Education Center

Inspiration for this design comes from our nation’s most significant symbol—the Star-Spangled Banner.

The two curved walls of the building reflect the dynamic nature of the flag and all it represents, while the juxtaposition of the walls—clad in distinct materials—invokes the meanings behind the flag’s stripes. Brick, strong and solid, expresses the hardiness and valor represented by the red stripes, while the thin and more delicate zinc façade expresses the purity and innocence represented by the white.

In the 1990s, thirteen different sizes of clay bricks were handmade to replicate various portions of the fort’s masonry during a significant restoration effort. In another gesture of respect for the historic fort, surplus bricks from the previous work were used and their varying sizes melded together by expert masons to create a compelling pattern.

In addition to the exterior materials and form, other symbolic details tying back to the story of the flag and War of 1812 were subtly integrated into the design of the visitor and education center. Three columns, constructed as part of the south balcony, represent the three groups of defenders who guarded the fort: the United States Army Corps of Artillery, the Maryland Militia, and Commodore Joshua Barney’s Flotilla. The red brick of the exterior curved wall tilts toward the fort at four degrees, remembering the four defenders who died in the Battle of Baltimore. In the lobby, fifteen stripes of lights in the ceiling represent the fifteen stripes in the American flag.

The incline of the brick wall gestures toward the flag, creating a visual dialogue between the fort and the visitor and education center. The contrasting volumes of brick and zinc, and the gentle change of their heights in opposite directions, suggest a sense of motion and allude to the gentle waving of the flag above the fort. This movement is enhanced by the landscape design which incorporates berms, plantings, and vegetation that mimic the gentle curves in plan and vary in height.

“This space is aspirational and awe-inspiring. ... It invites cultural awareness and change. I took space for granted before the museum. Now I appreciate its power to transform.”

— Stephanie Bailes, Executive Director, Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention

The Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention

The Cade Museum’s design was conceived as a metaphor for the human brain.

Just as experience fosters creativity, and creativity leads to invention, neurons in the brain grow and make new connections—in new and different ways—with every new experience. Like some of history’s greatest inventions that became platforms for future inventions, the brain is where experiences are reformulated to create new ideas that in turn influence others—leading to invention.

The building is organized around one space—the main hall—where all experiences come together. Like Ulysses in Tennyson’s poem, this space is a part of all of the spaces in the museum, yet at the same time becomes the foundation upon which they are experienced. A distinguishable form, the main hall draws visitors in from Main Street with views into and through the museum. It is clad in overlapping panels of textured metal, symbolic of ideas and experiences coming together, with the individual wedgeshaped galleries growing organically from its core. Inside, it is a vortex of creative energy. An oculus to the sky, symbolic of Tennyson’s “arch,” opens the space to the universe and all that it holds.

“I am part of all that I have met; yet all experience is an arch where through gleams that untraveled world whose margin fades forever when I move.” — Tennyson’s Ulysses

Many times during collaborative design charettes and early research phases, clients elaborate on stories that would not have been identified without them. Here, the client had a keen interest in the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Spiral and their occurrence in nature and science. During design discussions the team was able to capitalize on this idea of Fibonacci in nature, and intertwine it into the form and story of the Cade Museum. The image above shows the Fibonacci spiral overlaid on the museum’s floor plan, illustrating how the building seems to unwind as the spiral unfolds, similar to leaves on a stem or the curve of a shell.

“After years of planning … the designers found just the right tone. They struck a balance among the competing forces of client expectations, functional needs, site constraints and opportunities, historical and cultural context, and budget.”

Roger K. Lewis, Architecture Critic & Columnist, The

Washington Post

George Washington’s Mount Vernon Orientation & Museum and Education Center Complex

Of its own time yet respectful of the historic setting, the new complex is designed “in the spirit of George Washington”—representing the design team’s interpretation of what Washington himself might have created.

An iconic American landmark, George Washington’s Mount Vernon boasts over one million visitors per year, making it one of the nation’s most visited historic sites. While the popularity of Mount Vernon grew exponentially after his death, the estate has always been a model for stewardship and hospitality.

To gracefully handle such an influx of people, Washington developed a sequence of views and paths that not only led visitors, but also heightened their anticipation by providing multiple glimpses of the mansion prior to arrival. Just like this bucolic yet formal approach, the new Ford Orientation Center at Mount Vernon eases visitors into the calm within the estate, leaving the fastpaced world behind.

Similar to the path created by Washington, specific views connect visitors to the estate, offering glimpses of their destination and guiding an experience of the estate’s beauty and pastoral qualities as they move through the center. Particularly, the curved shape of the elliptical window wall directs the eye outward to the pasture while establishing a smooth flow, moving visitors through the center to the estate.

After visiting George Washington’s historic mansion, the Orientation Center, and the historic grounds, guests travel a sloping path leading to the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center. Reflective of Washington’s view that nature is at the center of any visit to Mount Vernon, the center is a quiet presence in the landscape. With much of the Reynolds Center tucked beneath a four-acre pasture to prevent its size from overwhelming the estate, the design reconciles the compelling yet conflicting objective of achieving underground construction without visitors realizing they are underground. Through careful siting and utilization of windows and skylights, visitors never perceive the transition to below grade. On approach, visitors see—and see through—the building to views of nature on the opposite site. They enter a light-filled lobby on the mezzanine level of the entry pavilion and look out over a carpet of treetops reminiscent of the hanging wood Washington favored for the mansion. Clerestory windows afford views to the sky and filtered light from two skylights accentuates key points on the path as visitors descend a grand stair, where the education center and museum entrances are revealed.

The 36,000-SF education center features multi-media exhibits, three theaters, classrooms, and distance learning facilities focused on providing innovative learning opportunities for school children, families, and researchers. The new 5,000-SF museum showcases objects and artifacts relating to the life and times of George Washington, including a 1,000-SF changing exhibit area.

In the Spirit of George Washington

One of the most hotly debated subjects in the field of architecture today is the language of new buildings built in historic contexts. Given the mission of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association to restore the historic estate to its 1799 condition, it was clear that visitors should understand the new facilities were not of George Washington’s time. Visitors should not mistakenly perceive the boundaries of the historic curtilage as encompassing the new buildings.

The design team continually asked what George Washington, the innovator, the dignified, calm, and powerful leader, would design if he were living today, and how he would express the mission of the new buildings in architecture. It was evident that copying the mansion’s Georgian/Federal style would be the wrong solution. Not only would mimicry of the existing historic estate style potentially confuse visitors as to the origin of the buildings, but it would also be in conflict with their appreciation of Washington’s own sense of style, innovation, and leadership.

Rather than copying the historic style, the new buildings are designed in a way that generates a productive tension between the historic precedent and a modern-day architectural expression—a clear, but respectful delineation between the old and the new. From this understanding, the design team developed a philosophy of “In the Spirit of George Washington” for the language and soul of the buildings. At every turn, the design sought to acknowledge the influence of Washington, his landscape design, the central role that nature played in his life, his dignity, his leadership, and his innovative character. Details, choice of materials, and spatial volumes within the new buildings and their surrounding sites were selected to be purposeful toward this overarching goal.

Powerful Visitor Experiences

From creating dynamic and inviting entry experiences to fostering engaging and interactive opportunities for interpretation, cultivating the ultimate visitor experience requires extensive forethought, planning, and research. GWWO’s process involves a holistic approach that begins with the deconstruction of the visitor sequence—arrival, decompression, reception, orientation, interpretation, and transformation—in order to arrive at an ideal design solution. Focusing on each element, we explore ways in which the physical space can make a positive impact on the overall experience, from layout and intuitive wayfinding to size, function, and visitor flow.

Through benchmarking and the use of our proprietary programming tool, we establish appropriate spatial relationships and requirements based on previous experience, while also incorporating each project’s projected visitation and goals. Most importantly, we understand how people move— naturally and intuitively—and the methods that can be explored to improve crowd control—including pacing and pulsing—thereby consistently promoting the most impactful visitor experience possible.

“There are so many aspects of this project that made it the winner of Building of the Year. ... the forms and organization of the structure not only fit within the landscape but also help tell Harriet Tubman’s story. The choice of exterior materials and how they will weather over time worked not only as a beautiful pallet, but also as a strong metaphor.”

AIA Maryland Jury

Harriet Tubman

Underground Railroad Visitor Center

Conceived as a series of abstracted forms that can be interpreted in many ways— from the farmstead vernacular of the region to stations along the Underground Railroad—the new complex immerses visitors in the story of Tubman’s life.

Joined by a shared entry plaza and terrace, the two structures of the complex, one exhibit and one administrative, frame a view north, expressing the importance of traveling northward to escape the circumstances of slavery. The space between the buildings grows wider as visitors venture north—a metaphor for freedom—and the view to the south is truncated by the splay of the buildings, suggesting a sense of oppression similar to that associated with the slaveholding states.

Clad in zinc panels, the three exhibit volumes will develop a dull, self-healing patina—a similar outcome hoped for the nation’s attitude towards slavery—while the southern volume, finished in wood siding, will weather to gray.

Just as the journey north was not a linear one for those seeking freedom, the design of the interpretive spaces allows visitors to take detours away from the main route to discover and learn.

Views out offer a constant connection to the surrounding landscape and the larger context of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge that Tubman traversed, transporting visitors to the time of the Underground Railroad and enhancing the overall interpretive experience. Upon exiting the center, visitors can explore the legacy garden, a northbound path that weaves through the site via various loops and returns—a metaphor for Tubman’s willingness to return to the region.

Inside, the life and impact of Harriet Tubman are told through contemporary photographs, archival materials, art, sculptural reconstructions, digital interactives, soundscapes, an interpretive film, and immersive multimedia environments.

“The City of Colorado Springs and many other stakeholders have long been committed to ... building a new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center that is truly worthy of the majesty and magnificence of Pikes Peak and the luster of its history. We now have a visitor center we can all be proud of, a place that William Palmer, Spencer Penrose and the generations of Pikes Peak advocates who have come before us would be proud of.”

— John Suthers, Mayor, City of Colorado Springs

Pikes Peak Summit

Visitor Center

Striking the perfect balance between a dynamic building and a minimalist structure deferential to Pikes Peak and its majestic views was critical to the design of the new visitor center.

Embedded into the mountainside, the low-rise structure is seemingly carved from the southeast side of the peak. Its form and materials, with stone inspired by Pikes Peak granite, evoke the crags and rock formations found above the tree line. Seen from below, the building appears as a building of the mountain rather than one on the mountain, yet as visitors arrive at the summit it emerges into view as a clear destination.

Entering the pavilion lobby from the peak, visitors are taken aback by the perfectly framed view of Mount Rosa, the summit that Zebulon Pike climbed on his 1806 expedition to survey the territory that had been recently acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The architecture of the pavilion highlights the relationship between the two landforms; the viewing angle from the top of the lobby steps to Mt. Rosa slopes down 3.5-degrees, with the same angle echoed by the roof’s upward slope.

Captivating but also functional, the building is sited to take advantage of the unique environmental conditions. Nestled into the mountain, exposure to the harsh winds is minimized, while the mass of the building provides sheltered outdoor areas to enjoy the views. The building’s southern orientation maximizes daylighting and reduces energy needs. A highly insulated concrete shell and in-floor radiant heating, together with the thermal mass of the stone cladding, help to retain heat. These strategies equip the building for the extreme climate where temperatures can reach negative 40 degrees.

Inside, visitors are taken aback by the boundless sky and framed views of Mt. Rosa. Stairs to the main level appear to fold down out of the mountain, as visitors descend to the main floor to access exhibits, dining, a gift shop, and restrooms. Exhibits highlight the mountain’s history, climate, geography, recreational opportunities, and conservation initiatives. Warm, rustic colors and natural materials, such as locally sourced timber, further connect the interior to the landscape.

With its terraced design, the building itself serves as an ideal platform from which to survey the views. It features two accessible roof decks: one poised above an outdoor dining terrace, the other an overhang that shelters the lower-level entrance. Together with a third elevated viewing platform, the North Overlook, and a network of protected walkways, the new visitor center stages a series of opportunities to experience the drama of the landscape.

Community Engagement

Projects benefit from the voices of many. GWWO often leverages a project’s design process to create bridges and strengthen human relationships. Community engagement activities during a project’s conception and development afford the design team invaluable opportunities to listen and truly understand the unique characteristics of the place and people— including cultural, historic, social, and environmental priorities. We work to uncover new knowledge, make sure individual concerns are heard, and build both consensus and mutual understanding. These vital insights and fostered relationships are the building blocks of new spaces and buildings which are essential to—and grounded in—the community.

Most visitors to Pikes Peak will feel the effects of altitude within 20 minutes. To expand the interpretive experience within the limited time frame, the dining area and gift shop feature historical imagery, including early maps use by the Spanish explorers and photographs of the first woman that climbed the peak.

“From its unique shape that looks like the bow of a ship rising mid-point out of the earth, to the amazing view from the seventh floor observation deck of all the activities on-going within the confines of the port, it’s hard to be concise about all it offers. It’s so impressive.”

Visitor comment, Trip Advisor

Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral

Serving as a beacon, the new Exploration Tower appears as a constant reference for the multitude of craft and aquatic life, entering and departing the waters of Port Canaveral.

Rich in culture and natural beauty, Florida’s Brevard County encompasses a collection of stories— cruising, the space coast, the military, nature, and local beaches—all linked by the common characteristics of transience, function, and imagery. From the annual migration of native loggerhead sea turtles to the constant movement of grand passenger cruise ships, planes, submarines, and NASA’s rocket launches, transience defines the site.

Coated with an iridescent paint, the tower’s protective metal skin subtly shifts depending on the sun and observer’s positioning, contributing to a constant sense of movement. Functiondriven form—a common aesthetic associated with Brevard County—prompts natural and man-made design as observed in the curvilinear organic forms of seashells and aquatic life and the advanced marine and aerospace engineering associated with the Space Coast. Functionally, the tower’s southfacing shell protects the interior from the harsh Florida sun, while providing elevated panoramic views of the Port and Cape Canaveral to the north.

Inside, exhibits occupy every floor culminating with panoramic views from an exterior observation deck where visitors can observe both natural and man-made objects moving through air and water surrounding the site.

Influenced by the strong local imagery, the tower’s tapered and curvilinear form conjures visions of a shuttle preparing for launch, a surfboard in the sand, a ship’s hull, and a rocket contrail, while also representing the balance between form and function, repelling the daily ocean breeze and potential hurricane force winds.

A double-height lobby and gift shop space feature a permanent art installation by artist Sayaka Ganz. The sculpture, entitled “Embrace,” is comprised of reclaimed trash and recycling gathered from nearby beaches.

“Each time I visit the Robinson Nature Center, I am reminded of the tremendous amount of thought, precision, and hard work that went into creating this true community treasure.”

Ken Ulman, former County Executive, Howard County, Maryland

Robinson Nature Center

Nestled into the forest, the Robinson Nature Center immerses visitors in a rich environmental education experience immediately upon arrival.

The Robinson Nature Center was in large part the vision of Anne Robinson, whose dream was to preserve the land of her estate. Declining decades of offers from developers, and even rumored to chase some off her property with a broom, Anne donated the land to the community in hopes it would one day be home to a nature center. Taking cues from the 19th century frame house and barn originally found on the Robinson homestead, the new center is constructed primarily of wood and stone, which is also reminiscent of the nearby historic Simpsonville Mill.

Designed to immerse visitors in a rich environmental education experience from the moment they enter the site and throughout their visit, the center is nestled into its sloped site. Largely below grade to minimize impact on the site, the three-story structure appears modest upon approach, allowing visitors to experience the beauty of the site. Descending through the center’s main “Life of the Forest” exhibit, visitors move from the level of tree canopy to forest floor both inside and out. Expanses of glass enhance the interpretive experience by offering on-going connections to nature, while also providing natural lighting for the interiors in support of the center’s sustainable mission.

Responsible Design

As designers and stewards of the built environment, we take seriously our obligation to make smart, thoughtful, and innovative design decisions today that will affect tomorrow’s future. We embrace and balance this responsibility—continually striving to preserve not only the natural, but also the cultural and historical environments—with our duty to provide the best design solutions for each client. To us, sustainability is more than just achieving certification: it is about designing responsibly, a tenet at the core of our mission. All encompassing, this mindset influences everything we do, from proper siting and comprehensive programming efforts to the more common sustainable strategies related to materials selection, water conservation, energy usage, and efficiencies. Ultimately, we design for less environmental impact and consumption and more efficiency, savings, and sensitivity.