Architecture & Nature #3: Museum Courtyard
At the scale of a museum campus, the relationship between art and nature is reflexive — there is art in the courtyard itself, and nature woven into the art within.
The reopened Foundations of American Art Gallery and redesigned Courtyard at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art bring art, architecture, and the Ozark landscape into dialogue as part of the museum's expanded vision. The courtyard extends the museum into nature through a curated landscape of native plantings, framed views, and meandering paths, designed for both discovery and reflection, and allowing nature to become an active part of the guest experience.
Architecture & Nature #1: Trailhead Welcome Center
In cities where nature is embedded in the culture, people expect the built environment to become an extension of the landscape. The Trailhead Welcome Center, created in collaboration with Rojkind Arquitectos, was designed with that understanding at its core, not as a facility that sits on the site, but as one that actively connects people to it.
The roof lifts at its corners to create light-filled gathering spaces below, while cyclists and pedestrians move across it to reach the trails. A single architectural gesture that makes the building a genuine part of the outdoor experience, blending adventure with hospitality.