HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
The Whipple Family Forest Education Center at the University of Arkansas’s Garvan Gardens immerses visitors “in the forest” to feel that they are “of the forest.” Constructed from Arkansas-sourced wood, the pavilion and surrounding landscape are designed to highlight the value of the state’s forest and timber industries. A mass timber canopy floats above an open plan, providing a series of flexible interior and exterior spaces that physically demonstrate the value of Arkansas’ forest and timber industries.
The Whipple Family Forest Education Center will support participatory exhibitions that integrate technology, art, and culture to enhance forest education while reinforcing Garvan Woodland Gardens' mission as an outreach center for the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas. The center will house the permanent Clark Family Exhibition in Timber and Wood, as well as public educational programming for the forest and sustainability institute.
The design of the Whipple Family Forest Education Center offers a multisensory experience that immerses visitors in the distinct layers of the Shortleaf Pine and Oak ecotype—canopy, midstory, understory, and forest floor. The design encourages users to connect with these layers through sight, sound, touch, and smell, guiding them through an experience of different aspects of the forest. As visitors move through the pavilion and landscape, each layer is highlighted through one of the senses: the canopy through sound, midstory with sight, understory touch, and the forest floor with smell. Through the integration of landscape and pavilion, visitors see, smell, hear, and touch the forest from different perspectives, fostering a deeper appreciation and holistic understanding of the unique flora and fauna that call the Ouachita Mountains home.