Robinson Nature Preserve Building
Embodying an ecologically considered resilience
Nestled into what was the largest private plant nursery in Florida, the latest expansion of the 450 acre Robinson Nature Preserve in Bradenton, FL, is located on a 20 acre breeding ground for exotic tree species.
Manatee County desired to build an environmental education center that would connect visitors to the Preserve’s unique ecology, as well as host school groups, retreats, and other functions. Our design for the 2,250 sf structure creates a modern-day treehouse, connected to an accessible canopy walk and nearby walking and riding trails.
Located 1,000 yards from the Gulf of Mexico, the structure has proven its ecological resilience by weathering two major hurricanes since completion.
Client
Manatee County
Location
Bradenton, FL
Status
Completed
Size
2,250 sf
Collaborators
ATP Engineers
Stantec
Stirling + Wilbur
Engineering Group
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Site constraints included meeting a recently established FEMA floodplain elevation of +11’ from the building grade (a height challenged and met during Hurricane Irma, which directly struck the site in 2019), determining prevailing wind patterns, and identifying and accounting for subsurface anomalies – typical of the Preserve, there are a number of underground caverns, cavities, and sinkholes.
Our design approach began by clarifying the existing 20 acre landscape and determining which native and invasive species would remain. Large, mature banyan trees were kept; Austrian pines that had multiplied out of control were removed.
This process revealed two small areas within the dense canopy which seemed appropriate to build on.
Two central skylights — at the center of the main interior space and stair tower — help bring controlled daylight throughout.
An observation tower also acts as a solar ‘chimney’ to channel hot air within the structure.
Reclaimed wood recovered from regional rivers and lakes, and elemental materials like copper, will age well in the salt air environment.
