Berea Forestry Center

Encouraging explorations into nature and history.

Berea Forestry Center, located in the center of the Appalachian mountains in Eastern Kentucky, aimed to create a multi-functional welcome center where visitors could learn about the history and become inspired to explore the natural surroundings. With a goal to create a flexible exhibit space to accommodate for diverse activities, I designed an exhibit system which took up minimal space and allowed visitors to explore the exhibit freely.

The exhibit system consisted of story panels, which were organized by story topics. Each panel was layered with different types of content on vertical levels. The content layers from top to bottom include: section titles, interpretive stories, images, quotes, atmospheric photos and tactile interactives, at the lowest height for accessibility.

In order to create a more interactive experience, especially for students and younger visitors, I designed tactile interactive moments within the story panels. These interactives were purposely positioned at a lower height, so people of all ages have the opportunity to experience them.

To bring more of the outside to the inside, I created a system of hanging scrims with images of tree leaves. As the visitor walks through the story panels, they are able to feel a sense of standing under the white oak trees, which are very common in the Berea Forests.

We collaborated with the Berea College fabrication team to design a customized topographic table using the CNC machine. The topography shows the trail routes, distances, guides, and all the information needed to begin a hike right outside the welcome center’s doors.