Bayard Cutting Arboretum Visitor Center

Shaded by generous eaves, the new Visitor Center at Bayard Cutting Arboretum provides a welcoming gateway to 691 acres of trails, wetlands, and historic gardens. Full-height glass walls wrap the steel structure, which houses exhibits on trees and ecology. Maple ceilings and oak millwork frame views out to the arboretum’s “museum of trees” including the majestic Oak Park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

The new building’s simple form, minimalist detailing, and integral site design enable it to defer both to the historic landscape and the 1880s Manor House at the heart of the former Cutting estate, today a New York State Park. With entrances on three sides, it opens to the landscape. The overhanging roof limits solar heat gain on the glass walls, improving energy performance while creating shaded outdoor space. A rooftop photovoltaic array produces approximately 20 percent of the building’s expected energy needs.

MBB collaborated with Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners to maintain tree canopy and root systems on site while improving parking, lighting, accessibility, and stormwater management. Excavation work for the basement storage area was carefully planned to minimize impact to the trees, while the overall site and architectural design maximize impact for visitors of all ages and abilities.

Team

Architecture: MBB Architects

Landscape: Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners

Structural: TYLin

Civil: Cashin Associates

MEP: Altieri

Cost Estimator: Slocum Construction Consulting

Lighting: Melanie Freundlich Lighting Design

Exhibition Design: Matter Studio

Exhibition Graphics & Media: Pure+Applied

Exhibition Curation: Jeanne Haffner, Olivia Schwob

AV Integration: Maelstrom Media