Rockefeller Trailhead

350, Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, KS, United States

Add To Collection

Rockefeller Trailhead

350, Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, KS, United States

Type

Industrial › Research Facility

YEAR

2009

This design/build project was commissioned by the University of Kansas Field Station and Ecological Reserves (KSR) a division of the Kansas Biological Survey. Situated on the edge of the Rockefeller Prairie north of Lawrence, the trailhead serves a public outreach function, inviting the public to enjoy the lands of the KU Field Station and gain an understanding of the work being done there as KU and visiting scientists research plant and animal populations on the prairie.The trailhead was conceived as a pre-fabricated structure, and was built of galvanized steel tubes and wood in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning's west campus warehouse, then transported to the prairie for installation. It consists of a deck and a shade structure , along woith display panels for information about the work of the Field Station.Dick and Sue Himes provided funding for the project through the KU Endowment Association. Westar Energy's Green Team and Kaw Valley Electric donated telephone poles for the lumber on the roof and deck.The Rockefeller Trailhead was awarded a 2009 Design Excellence Award, Merit Category, from AIA Kansas City.