Wild Bear Nature Center – Interpretive Master Plan and Concept Design

Wild Bear Nature Center has been an innovative nature center in Boulder County, Colorado since 1995 and has instilled a deep appreciation for nature within thousands of children and adults. Having inhabited their first building in 2010, the team quickly outgrew its strip mall walls and is now in the process of constructing a new net-zero building, deeply embedded in the nature it champions in its many programs.

Strategically located along the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, the new nature center will be a destination for visitors from all over the world, as well as a valuable resource for regional families. It will become a landmark for the Nederland community and a statewide beacon of environmental education for the area.

Studio Tectonic was a key player in the spatial analysis and visitor use assessments for the new building and overall site, as well as for developing new indoor and outdoor thematically immersive exhibits and interpretive experiences. Wild Bear’s unique, unconventional approach to natural learning is reflective in the informality and innovative creation of its interpretive spaces. The new nature center will serve in many capacities— from interpretive exhibit spaces to classrooms, staff officing, community workspaces to performance stages, outdoor play areas, an outdoor amphitheater, and start of several trailheads. Studio Tectonic helped the Wild Bear team articulate and bring to life their visions for this exciting new chapter.