Tandy Hills Natural Area Developmental Project

Tandy Hills is an indigenous prairie reserve located in Forth Worth, Texas. Unlike many prairie sites in North Texas, Tandy hills contains endemic flora of over 1,000 native species. Currently, Tandy Hills is kept by a volunteer force that helps to create and reorganize paths. There are a few community events held at Tandy Hills such as the Manly Men and Wild Women annual hike, but it is currently an underutilized and underdeveloped natural  area.

​My goal for the development of the Tandy Hills Nature Area is to create a point of interest that takes a beautiful, rare ecosystem, and turns it into a revered space. The project requirements stated that we need to design an informational center, learning environment, and research facility. For my project, I decided to also add the element of an art gallery, as well as a café and restaurant. ​

Master Plan

With my partner, Sarah,  I developed a masterplan for Tandy Hills. While each Practicum I student will be working from the same masterplan, the processes, building and structure designs, as well as some usage features will differ from project to project. 
We took into account popular trails, ecological and environmental features, traffic, nearby neighborhoods, as well as the various amazing lookout points to downtown Fort Worth.

Concept Design

Main Structure

The main building is located on a pre-disturbed area on the southwestern portion of the site. In keeping within the idea of blooming from one point, the plan expands from the lobby. The long, straight structure are classrooms that are lined up with multiple trail heads that have outdoor learning pavilions, linking indoor learning with outdoor exploration. 
The tall, crossing structure is the art gallery. The art gallery will host rotating selections of art, photography, and sculptures relating to Tandy hills or the native Texan prairie ecosystem.

Research Facility

The research facility is located near a small hill. The idea for the facility is for the roof of the building to merge into that of the hill, as to create a green roof. The location is very remote, so it would only become a truly public space during specialized educational tours or occasional Tandy Hills events. 

Final Elements

Site Model

When looking at the site, it is easy to see that there is a conversation between the green spaces and orientation of the two buildings. The main building has the opportunity to become a third space for the neighborhood south of the site. While the research facility is hidden within the trees, a natural clearing allows for materials to be dropped in and built on site. While there is some distance between the two buildings, parking near each structure allows for easy access for commenters. 

Main Building

The main building for my project ended up being a two part structure, with a lobby/café, and an educational facility. A skywalk connects the two structures, leading to a community art gallery on the second floor. The space in between the buildings is supposed to be a gathering space for both the neighborhood and visitors to the Tandy Hills natural area. Space underneath the art gallery is an extension of the representative valley between buildings, but allows visitors to watch their children in the park across from the structure. The skywalk intentionally does not open up to the green roof. Instead, it serves as a representation of intangibility of the native prairie grasses and wildflowers. 

Research Facility

The research facility is located on a small hill, which the building mirrors in the angle of the sloped roof. This facility hosts two labs, a break room, single bathroom, lobby, and a green roof. Lab one has a skylight with blinds to have an option of natural light within the lab. The green roof is a usable space that researchers can utilize to research specimens outdoors, or as an extended break room.