GWWO, Inc./Architects Nature Center Design
GWWO, Inc./Architects
Firm Overview GWWO, Inc./Architects is an award-winning architectural practice focused on client service and design excellence. A full-service firm located in Baltimore, Maryland, we specialize in providing services for cultural and educational facilities with an emphasis on responsible design that is inspirational, evocative, and progressive. We cultivate and maintain enduring relationships with our clients by providing a broad array of expanded services. Our experience spans more than forty years and includes many award-winning efforts. GWWO has completed projects throughout the Eastern United States and the territories. The firm’s size—57 employees, including twenty-seven licensed architects—lends itself to a “hands-on” atmosphere in which the principals are deeply involved in client service and project management. We offer a broad array of expanded services. GWWO offers services to assist clients from the first conceptual stages of development through final design and construction. Our services, which are tailored to the individual needs of each client, include: ■■ Master Planning
■■ Preparation of Fundraising Materials
■■ Site Selection Studies
■■ New Construction, Addition, Renovation &
■■ Feasibility Studies ■■ Space Planning and Programming ■■ Facility Assessments
Adaptive Reuse Design ■■ Sustainable Design/LEED Certification ■■ Construction Administration ■■ Post-Construction Services
GWWO believes that the best designs evolve from a collaboration of user, owner and designer input. We work in partnership with our clients to develop individualized design solutions that respond to each project’s unique needs and goals. For us, a project is not successful simply because it wins an award or is praised by architectural critics. Rather, we think that the most successful projects are those that work for the users—in form and function. We strive to embody the mission and spirit of each client’s organization in our designs and to plan for and create facilities that are equipped to meet user needs today, while being flexible and adaptable to meet future demands.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
Master Planning & Site Selection Studies GWWO routinely works with our clients to provide the full range of planning services. These services include site and building master planning, programming, site selection studies, existing conditions analysis, conceptual and schematic design, and cost estimating. Our experience with the realities of implementation increases the quality of our analytical studies, preliminary surveys and recommendations. In all cases, our planning efforts are founded in each institution’s mission and goals, and respectful—and celebratory—of each site’s environmental, cultural, and historic context. Examples of our master planning and site selection studies include: ■■ Killens Pond State Park Master Planning/Site Selection: Master
planning and site selection study for the new Killens Pond Nature Center, including consideration of multiple program, building, and site options and the development of recommendations for expanded educational programming and accommodating additional visitor use and exploration within the park.
■■ Cylburn Arboretum Master Planning: Site master planning and
preliminary design to explore options for new and renovated facilities to accommodate existing and future staff and visitation needs within the Arboretum’s campus, including plans for an Orientation Center, Education Center, Information Kiosk, Wedding Pavilion, as well as renovations to the Carriage House and a Greenhouse addition.
■■ George Washington’s Mount Vernon Master Planning: Site and building master planning for George
Washington’s historic estate, which attracts more than one million visitors per year, including evaluation of visitor service needs, viewsheds, site circulation, and visitor flow, and planning for three new facilities within the sensitive site.
■■ Brandywine Conservancy & River Museum Master Planning: Master planning and programming to address the
next ten years, including extensive staff interviews, evaluation of existing facilities, development of a new program of spaces and site layout, and recommendations for phased implementation to meet growing needs by improving and expanding existing facilities.
■■ Canaveral Cove Master Planning: Master planning for the redevelopment of the cove at Port Canaveral,
including existing conditions analysis, identification of site opportunities, integration with economic viability and demographic analysis, development of multiple schemes, and development of a final plan that will encompass green space, a new landmark welcome center, retail, entertainment, dining, and other attractions.
■■ Blandair Park Master Planning: Master planning for new 300-acre park, including development of visual themes
guidelines for current and future park development, planning/programming for facilities that include concessions, comfort facilities, recreation facilities, and a new nature center, and class C cost estimates for proposed alternatives.
Sustainable 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.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
Nature, Interpretive & Visitor Center Experience GWWO’s interpretive projects focus on the overall visitor experience, from the moment a visitor arrives on site through to their departure, and on embodying the mission of the institution in the architecture to seamlessly deliver the message of the place. We have developed a proven approach which most importantly begins with recognizing and celebrating the institution’s mission and vision. Our experience with interpretive facilities of all types and sizes has given us a unique understanding of the many complexities to be considered throughout the process. These include visitor way-finding, staff circulation, public versus private space security, visual experiences, potential connection opportunities, integration of indoor and outdoor spaces, reinforcement of education and comfort, community engagement, accessibility and disability assistance, responsive design for all age groups, large group usage, and distance learning.
Robinson Nature Center
GWWO offers a full range of master planning and design that involves not only research, but also carries through to implementation, increasing the quality of our analytical studies, preliminary surveys & recommendations. Past projects have involved: ■■ Existing conditions assessments
Heritage Musuems & Gardens
■■ User group interviews to determine needs, preferences & goals ■■ Space planning studies ■■ Redevelopment plans ■■ Programming sessions ■■ Site plans ■■ Development of design guidelines/materials palette ■■ Conceptual floor plans ■■ Schematic designs and exterior elevations
Killens Pond Nature Center
■■ Cost estimates ■■ Preparation of a phasing plan ■■ Assistance with fundraising
Morven Museum & Gardens
GWWO, Inc./Architects
Recent Honors & Awards 2014 AIA Baltimore Design Award—Cade Museum for Creativity + Invention, Gainesville, FL 2014 AIA Baltimore Design Award—Robinson Nature Center, Columbia, MD 2012 AIA Maryland Design Award—Robinson Nature Center, Columbia, MD 2011 AIA Baltimore Design Award—Killens Pond Nature Center, Felton, DE 2011 AIA Baltimore Design Award—Harpers Ferry Train Station, Harpers Ferry, WV 2011 USGBC Maryland Wintergreen Sustainability Award—Robinson Nature Center, Columbia, MD 2010 AIA Baltimore Grand Design Award—DuPont Environmental Education Center, Wilmington, DE 2010 AIA Maryland Merit Award—DuPont Environmental Education Center, Wilmington, DE 2010 AIA Delaware Honor Award—DuPont Environmental Education Center, Wilmington, DE 2010 AIA Delaware Citation Award—Killens Pond Nature Center, Felton, DE
DuPont Environmental Education Center
2010 USGBC Maryland Wintergreen Sustainability Award—Killens Pond Nature Center, Felton, DE 2009 AIA Maryland Design Award—Harpers Ferry Train Station, Harpers Ferry, WV 2008 AIA Baltimore Grand Design & Honor Award—Ford Orientation Center, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, VA 2008 AIA Baltimore Design Award—National Sailing Hall of Fame, Annapolis, MD 2007 AIA Maryland Design Award—Ford Orientation Center, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, VA 2007 AIA Maryland Design Award—Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, VA 2007 AIA Baltimore Design Award—Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, VA 2007 AIA Baltimore Design Award—Killens Pond Nature Center, Felton, DE 2006 AIA Baltimore Design Honor Award—DuPont Environmental Education Center, Wilmington, DE
GWWO, Inc./Architects
ROBINSON NATURE CENTER Columbia, Maryland
Nestled into its sloped site and largely below grade, the new Robinson Nature Center immerses visitors in a rich environmental education experience from the moment they enter the site and throughout their visit. Situated adjacent to an existing nature preserve, the main objective of the new center is to bring people together with nature, to learn, to experience nature and the environment around them, and promote an ethic of stewardship of the land. Descending through the center’s main “Life of the Forest” exhibit, visitors go 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. Exterior balconies and an inviting terrace off the center’s multipurpose and classroom wing further merge indoor and outdoor space.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
■■ Exhibits, classrooms, multipurpose space, auditorium, office, gift shop ■■ 50-seat “Naturesphere” state-of-theart digital planetarium ■■ Designated a Maryland Green Center by the Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education
ROBINSON NATURE CENTER
“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. We believe that [it] will quickly become a destination for nature lovers up and down the East Coast.” —Ken Ulman, former County Executive, Howard County, Maryland
GWWO, Inc./Architects
ROBINSON NATURE CENTER
GWWO, Inc./Architects
ROBINSON NATURE CENTER
AWARDS AIA Baltimore Design Award AIA Baltimore Citation Award, Institutional Architecture WoodWorks Institutional Wood Design Award AIA Maryland Design Award USGBC Maryland Wintergreen Sustainability Award ENR New York Award of Merit (Green Project)
GWWO, Inc./Architects
KILLENS POND NATURE CENTER Felton, Delaware
Gracefully situated at the transition between ecosystems, the new Killens Pond State Park Nature Center hovers over the pond as it emerges from the hardwood forest. Simultaneously lifting spirits and fading into the landscape, it serves a single and determined purpose— keeping nature at the forefront of the experience. Transparency and openness unite interior spaces with the surrounding landscape, offering wide perspectives of the pond, close inspections of the forest, and opportunities to contemplate the natural forces which dynamically act upon them. The new center enables the Park to offer expanded programs and to more fully interpret the Pond’s natural environment, which they were unable to do with previous facilities.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
■■ Exhibits, multipurpose room, laboratory classroom ■■ Conference and meeting facilities, office and administrative facilities ■■ Indoor and outdoor education and gathering areas ■■ Visible rainwater recovery and reuse serves as a teaching tool
KILLENS POND NATURE CENTER
“ The talent within the firm is uniformly excellent. If you are considering an architect to work with you on a challenging project for which you have high expectations, I can tell you without hesitation that you should hire GWWO.” —Greg Kindig, retired Architect, Delaware State Parks
GWWO, Inc./Architects
KILLENS POND NATURE CENTER
GWWO, Inc./Architects
KILLENS POND NATURE CENTER
AWARDS AIA Baltimore Design Award AIA Delaware Citation Award USGBC Maryland Wintergreen Sustainability Award USGBC Maryland Quintessential State Building
GWWO, Inc./Architects
DUPONT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER Wilmington, Delaware
Elevated above the marshlands, the new DuPont Environmental Education Center at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge responds to the dynamics of the surrounding natural systems—tidal river and wetlands—as well as infrastructural site elements: an adjacent railway, high voltage power lines, and multiple utility rights of way.
■■ Indoor and outdoor exhibits, multipurpose room, ecology classroom, offices
Traversing the entrance bridge, visitors experience the tenuous connection between man and nature. Seen from afar, the building acts as a beacon marking the terminus of the city’s riverwalk. From within, windows on the north façade frame views to the city, while views to the south open out to the natural setting.
■■ Sustainable design features
Housing exhibits, classrooms, and offices for nature education and related recreation activities, as well as community meeting and gathering space, the building enhances and encourages the relationship between urban development along the waterfront and the natural environment.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
■■ Multi-level viewing tower and terraces, boardwalk ■■ Design Architect: GWWO, Inc./ Architects; Managing Firm: Becker Morgan Group
DUPONT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER
AWARDS AIA Baltimore Grand Design Award AIA Maryland Merit Award AIA Delaware Honor Award AIA Baltimore Design Honor Award International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Delaware Chapter Green Building Award
GWWO, Inc./Architects
DUPONT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER
“ The success of this project is due, in large part, to the vision of Alan Reed, who envisioned the building sitting here at the edge of the wildlife refuge...” —Mike Purzycki, Executive Director, Riverfront Development Corporation
GWWO, Inc./Architects
DUPONT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER
GWWO, Inc./Architects
CYLBURN ARBORETUM VOLLMER CENTER Baltimore, Maryland
Master planning efforts which explored options for new and renovated facilities to accommodate existing and future staff and visitation needs, as well as subsequent design of a new 10,100-SF nature center.
■■ Flexible orientation and exhibit space
Clad in natural materials and following the site’s natural grade change, the new Cylburn Arboretum Vollmer Center is designed to sit quietly within the landscape so as not to detract from or overpower the historic Cylburn Mansion. Slate sculptings, a sustainable alternative to the stone found on the site’s historic mansion, cover solid forms that frame a view through the building.
■■ Multipurpose room accommodating up to 250
The light-filled lobby focuses views out to the arboretum’s large collection of maple trees. The angle of the building’s two-story volume further opens and enhances the view, directing the eye to a long vista across the upper level terrace to the natural landscape beyond. The wide staircase echoes the descent of the topography and the large window wall within the multipurpose room continues to expose visitors to the natural environment.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
■■ Information station, outdoor amphitheater, gift shop
■■ Offices, catering kitchen, support spaces ■■ Sustainable design features
CYLBURN ARBORETUM VOLLMER CENTER
“The Vollmer Center is a model of what green technology can achieve, illustrating how we can reduce energy use, conserve water, and help to restore our environment.” —US Senator Benjamin L. Cardin
GWWO, Inc./Architects
IRVINE NATURE CENTER Owings Mills, Maryland
Imagined as a collection of reused agricultural structures—native barns and a silo—amassed in the essence of sustainability, the new Irvine Nature Center demonstrates the client’s mission of environmental exploration, respect, and protection. At one with the site, the building embraces the raw contours, both respecting and integrating with the natural features and resources of the land. Visitors traverse a bioretention swale via a raised wooden deck as they enter the center, immediately understanding the richness of the 116acre site. An enticing prelude to site exploration, interior views out maintain a dialogue with the environment during the educational and orientation experience. Sustainable design was critical to the concept. In keeping with Irvine’s educational mission, the facility incorporates indigenous materials and green design methods that visitors can adapt to make their own homes more environmentally friendly. Features include a green roof, pervious parking areas, and use of passive solar energy and a ground-source heat pump.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
■■ Exhibits, nature store, auditorium, education spaces ■■ Library, offices, meeting rooms ■■ Workshop, seed storage silo, tool and equipment storage ■■ Free-standing pavilion for outdoor activities ■■ Designated a Maryland Green Center by the Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education
IRVINE NATURE CENTER
“We recognize that our building is as much an educational tool as our programs, and we look forward to sharing it with the thousands of visitors that we will welcome each year.” —Gregory Pinkard, Site Planning Committee Chair, Irvine Nature Center
GWWO, Inc./Architects
THE NATURE PLACE Reading, Pennsylvania
A working example of conservation principles and sustainable development, the new Nature Place embodies Berks Nature’s belief that nature is essential to our quality of life. Sited adjacent to an existing classroom building, orientation of the new structure celebrates the environment, providing panoramic views of the surrounding wetlands, making a visual connection with the nearby Neversink Mountain and maximizing daylighting. Oversized doors in the classroom spaces open to an outdoor deck overlooking the wetlands, gracefully merging the indoors and out. Deferring to the surroundings, building materials include recycled stone from farm buildings and reclaimed wood from Pennsylvania mushroom farms. The new center will serve as a space for education classrooms, community meetings, and administration space for Berks Nature.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
■■ “Clean” and “dirty” classrooms, outdoor learning spaces, nature play area ■■ Lobby, conference rooms, offices, support spaces ■■ Trails through wetlands and natural habitats ■■ Designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification
THE NATURE PLACE
“ Our instructions to the architects were to create a simple design, easy to maintain, functional, and respectful of the park. What we have isn’t anything I could have envisioned, but it is everything we dreamed of.” —Kim Murphy, President, Berks Nature
GWWO, Inc./Architects
HERITAGE MUSEUMS & GARDENS WELCOME CENTER Sandwich, Massachusetts
Programming and design of a new 7,000-SF welcome center and arrival sequence that creates an engaging and welcoming initial experience for visitors.
■■ Visitor orientation and information, ticketing, gift shop
Meant to create a sense of discovery, the siting and design of the center slowly reveals itself to visitors upon approach, creating a sense of anticipation that foreshadows the experience visitors will have as they explore the grounds. As on the site, where features are concealed and then revealed as you come upon them, the center is discovered as you move towards it, and then through it. Inside, a glass-enclosed lobby directs the eye to the site’s signature water flume and provides visitors with expansive views of the lush landscape.
■■ Improved entry sequence, circulation, and parking
Contemporary in design and materials, yet reminiscent of traditional Cape Cod architecture in scale and form, the welcome center responds to its surroundings and context, including the kettle-kame topography and existing building scattered around the 100-acre site. The program for the new facility includes an open lobby, information desk, ticketing, gift shop, board room, offices and storage spaces.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
■■ Board room, offices, member’s area
■■ Sustainable design features
HERITAGE MUSEUMS & GARDENS WELCOME CENTER
GWWO, Inc./Architects
JEAN R. PACKARD OCCOQUAN CENTER Occoquan, Virginia
Sited on a bluff overlooking the Occoquan River, the Jean R. Packard Center takes advantage of the natural topography and separates the building’s primary functions—interpretation, visitor amenities, and multipurpose space—and usage patterns. The facility is being designed to educate visitors about the park environment as well as to serve as a multipurpose event space. The upper level will house an environmental education space which will be open to the public as well as dually serve as a lobby for functions and open directly onto the upper terraces and garden area. The lower level will primarily serve Park-related functions and will contain offices and a café opening directly onto the lower terrace with outdoor seating. Driven by the contrast between, and union of, two halves—one light and open (public/events) and the other solid and heavy (support)—the architectural expression is articulated through the use of different structural systems and materials: delicate steel and glass on the west side allowing for expansive views of the river, and heavy timber and wood cladding on the east. Similar patterning between the halves ties them together to create a cohesive structure.
GWWO, Inc./Architects
■■ Visitor orientation, environmental education space, exhibit, café ■■ Multipurpose event rental space, commercial kitchen, event preparation and staging spaces ■■ Outdoor terrace, pavilion, waterfront plaza, trails
JEAN R. PACKARD OCCOQUAN CENTER
GWWO, Inc./Architects