Mohican State Park Visitor Center

The 4,500-square-foot Mohican State Park Visitor Center, highly visible from an adjacent highway, overlooks the scenic Clear Fork of the Mohican River.

The facility draws parkgoers through a corridor of trees and embraces them with its low-maintenance, low-embodied carbon materials and rustic aesthetic. Inspired by the traditional forest lodge, the center integrates with its wooded setting through earth-toned siding, a stone base that reflects the park’s stone outcroppings, steep-pitch standing seam roofing, heavy timber, and interior and exterior fireplaces.

Outdoor spaces encourage gathering and invite visitors to take in their surroundings. Double doors open to balconies with broad overhangs that offer shading in summer and protection in winter. Steps leading to the main entry double as group seating for small performances or lectures.

The facility’s elevated core responds to its location within a floodplain — if the adjacent Mohican River floods, a natural stream passes under the building. The landscape integrates boulders and native vegetation to create a habitat for amphibians and other animals.

A grand interior with a lodge feel welcomes the community with abundant natural light, locally sourced wood products, and exhibits. Exposed trusses and tongue-and-groove wood decking conceal infrastructure while paying tribute to the covered bridge that spans the river. The design team worked with a local Amish contractor, which built and installed all trusses using wood pegs instead of steel connectors to achieve a more regional aesthetic.