Rogers, Arkansas, USA
The Poet Richard O. Moore said, “Simplicities are enormously complex.”
This sentiment accurately describes the trailhead and campsite structures located along with the Arkansas’ Hobbs State Park Monument Trails system.
Designed by Hufft, these architectural components were designed as a vehicle for immersion into the land, fortifying the sense of place and identity.
Hobbs is Arkansas’ largest state park and offers more than 50 miles of trail for adventurers of all types.
The architectural components on the Monument Trails were designed as vehicles for immersion into the land, fortifying the sense of place and identity.
The trailhead structures and campsite shells are strategically set as a series of sculptural elements in the landscape.
Simple in structure, the process between concept and fabrication was complex, involving extensive computational design work.
Stacked steel tubes were carefully arranged to form a parabolic shape.
After base geometries and specific portions were determined, each structure was broken into sections, conforming the curved design into straight beams that could be stacked and overlapped.
The multiple lengths of each individual piece were optimized to the nearest inch, and bolt connections were mapped to make assembly in the shop, and eventually on-site, as efficient as possible.
From a distance, the elements are understood as formal volumes, but up close, the stacked bars create a finer, tactile experience to interact with.
After a rigorous design process, the architects’ shop fabricated the campsite shells and worked with a local metal shop to complete the large trailhead structures.
Hufft Hobbs State Park Trailhead
Project: Hufft Hobbs State Park Trailhead
Architects: Hufft Projects
Client: Arkansas State Parks
Photographers: Kevin Moravec
