Wood Lake Nature Center

The new Wood Lake Nature Center is an energy-efficient facility intended to replace the original 1971 structure as a gateway to the surrounding 150-acre nature preserve. Scheduled for completion in fall 2026, the project is a holistic visitor center that fosters environmental discovery. The design creates an inviting destination for diverse user groups - from students to seniors - offering educational resources, exhibits, and social spaces.

Structurally, the center is a one-story mass timber building distinguished by a series of unique pyramid vaulted roofs framed with glulam beams and columns. DowelLam is supplying kerf DLT for the low roofs and acoustic DLT for the high roofs throughout. The supporting structure features a mixture of glulam and steel framing (including flitch beams).