Revival Oak Research and Education Center

Publication Date

Spring 4-22-2026

Presentation Length

30 minutes

College

O'More College of Architecture & Design

Department

Architecture

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Brent Hunter

Presentation Type

Gallery

Summary

Rooted in research on oak regeneration, the building mediates between people and the forest through responsive form and sustainable strategies, as well as physically and visually connecting to the surrounding trees to integrate architecture within its ecological context.

The design of the research facility emerges from an understanding of the site’s topography, solar orientation, and surrounding ecology, allowing the architecture to act as a mediator between people and the forest. The massing responds directly to the contours of the mountainside, layering and stacking programs to create a form that flows with the terrain rather than imposing upon it. This approach enables the building to blend harmoniously into the dense wooded landscape, minimizing its visual and ecological impact within the park. Strategic shifts in form frame specific views of the gorge, creating intentional visual and physical connections to the environment while emphasizing the relationship between built and natural systems. Informed by studies of oak regeneration, the facility occupies both the understory and canopy layers of the forest through a composition of embedded and cantilevered forms. Positioning the research center on the upper slope, away from populated areas, reinforces its integration within the forest canopy and preserves the integrity of the surrounding ecosystem. Sustainable systems such as passive ventilation, thermal massing, and possible natural earth air tunnels work hand in hand with material choices—insulated concrete form walls, slab-on-grade concrete, wood framing, and charred wood siding—to create a high-performance envelope that blends with the forest context. Together, these strategies establish a space that embodies ecological awareness, supporting both human research and the regeneration of the oak ecosystem.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS