LONG ACRES RANCH
Integrated Studio, Fall 2015
Professor Craig Babe
Partner: Austen Kernodle
Integrated Studio, Fall 2015
Professor Craig Babe
Partner: Austen Kernodle
LONG ACRES RANCH invites nature lovers and eco-tourists to immerse themselves in nature and explore a lush plot of land dedicated to camping, hiking, bird watching, canoeing, and many more outdoor activities.
The visitor’s center consists of 14 small, outward facing buildings that open up to panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Program includes a main lobby, office space, an auditorium, exhibition space, a lounge, classrooms and 12 private dormitories for visiting researchers.
The site is located on a former cattle ranch, which has now become a stretch of beautiful grasslands. In order to minimize the visual impact on the landscape, the complex was developed as a single story. Creating individual buildings allowed for more intimate, smaller spaces that face outward, ultimately eliminating the need for interior circulation. Organizing the buildings around two central gathering spaces created a public realm as well as a private area that could be utilized by students and researchers. A porous circular pavilion surrounds each building and creates private gardens, while providing shading and cross ventilation.
