ECOLOGICAL LEARNING CENTER

​ARCH 301| FALL 2016 | BOONE COUNTY, IOWA

The Ecological Learning Center is at Ledges State Park near Boone, Iowa and overlooks the scenic Des Moines River Valley. The center includes outdoor spaces, classrooms, offices, and a kitchen, and is a device to help middle/high school children learn about ecology. The building is nestled into the bluff on the entrance side to keep a low profile on the hill and to not dominate the site. The entrance to the building is hidden, but becomes obvious with minimal exploration. Upon entering, the narrow passage toward the river divides the spaces and guides the users through the building. It protrudes out of the cliff and cantilevers an outdoor space above the treetops. The protrusion and nestling integrates the landscape in two different ways, and the people take notice of this by the obvious differences in atmosphere.