Orick, California, USA
Siegel & Strain Architects redesign and expand the Redwood Visitor Center in Redwood National Park on behalf of Save the Redwoods League.
This revival and expansion project won a 2021 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The Redwood Visitor Center is located on a 125-acre property bordering Redwood National Park, just north of Orick.
The Visitor Center occupies a flat former lumber mill site covered by 21-acres of asphalt, remnant foundations, and berms erected for flood control.
Surrounding the site is luxuriant, sensitive habitat: to the east, old-growth redwoods that provide sanctuary for the endangered marbled murrelet; to the west, the confluence of Redwood and Prairie Creeks which provide critical salmonid habitat; and to the north, connections to trails that feature fairy rings and fern meadows.
The project will be closely coordinated with a major site restoration effort and a trail network expansion.
The new Visitor Center will house interpretive exhibits, administrative offices, a café, and wayfinding. Site amenities include an amphitheater, trailheads, and a screened picnic area.
The screened picnic area provides protected outdoor seating for visitors to ensure that visitor food does not attract corvids (jays, crows, and ravens) who feed on the eggs of the endangered marbled murrelet.
The existing asphalt will be removed and the land recontoured to slow down and direct stormwater toward the creek.
A new curving entrance drive directs visitor views towards the restored creek, towards old-growth trees, and finally turns back to focus on the Visitor Center.
Located on a slight rise, the Visitor Center forms a literal gateway to the park’s many trails leading to the tall trees and visitor experiences.
Two gabled wings joined by a covered breezeway marks the start of the primary pathway into the Redwood forest.
The eastern gable, housing most of the visitor center functions, slopes up to capture soaring views of old-growth Redwoods while the smaller western gable, housing the screened picnic area, will capture panoramic views of the restored Prairie Creek watershed.
Visitors approach the long side of the buildings, arced to shape an entry plaza with exhibits that explain the site’s ecological context.
The breezeway, spanned by a light steel frame covered with clear glass, forms the gateway to trails as well as a connection between the two gables in inclement weather.
Locally salvaged redwood siding punctuated with rhythmic slot windows clad the exterior and tie it literally to place, demonstrating the beauty and utility of redwood.
Inside, the exhibit hall is designed as a single lofty space, allowing visitors to move easily through and around the interpretive exhibits, towards the expansive view out
to the old-growth Redwoods at the gable’s end.
Steel bents create a tall, uncluttered volume to accommodate the tall interpretive exhibits.
The interior is designed to be warm and welcoming, sheltering visitors on damp
and rainy days, while focusing on forest and creek views beyond.
The exposed steel bents increase in height towards the major views.
Behind the bents, the interior is wrapped in wood from ceiling to floor.
The facility is designed to be all-electric, to achieve and operate at or above net-zero energy, and to achieve LEED Platinum.
Through iterative thermal modeling, the design optimizes orientation, building envelope, and shaded porches with deep eaves, reducing external loads.
Natural ventilation is employed at the exhibit hall with the rising ridge, ceiling fans, and operable vents near the peak.
A photovoltaic system will produce enough energy on-site to achieve net-zero.
The predicted Energy Use Intensity of 27 kBtu/PSF, a 65% reduction from the Architecture 2030 benchmark.
Project: Redwood Visitor Center
Architects: Siegel & Strain Architects
Client: Save the Redwoods League and National Park Service
