The Opportunity 

The Nebraska National Forest is a man-made forest spanning more than 140,000 acres. For generations, local Nebraskans and visitors from across the country have been drawn to the forest’s tranquil landscape. The forest is nestled within a larger native ecosystem – the Sandhills: a region of native prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes – located in north-central Nebraska. For more than 60 years, Nebraska 4-H has called 20 acres of the forest and Sandhills home. The 4-H Camp near Halsey was a cornerstone of the 4-H experience, a place where young people came to learn, grow, and connect with the landscape and native ecology. 

In October 2022, the Bovee Wildfire decimated thousands of acres of the forest, including the beloved camp. The loss of the 4-H camp was felt by young and old across the state. But north-central Nebraskans are resilient and immediately began considering not just how to rebuild, but how to expand the impact of the Sandhills and the 4-H camp for future generations. 

The Approach 

The Sandhills Discovery Center emerged as the response to devastation and is conceived as an immersive ecotourism and education destination rooted in the ecology and cultural identity of the Sandhills. With programming including a lodge and conference center, memorial pavilion, large and small cabins, yurts, star-gazing platforms, boardwalk, and other site amenities, the Discovery Center is designed to serve youth camps, school groups, tourists, and everyone in between.  

Design interventions in ecologically rich environments require humility – working with and learning from the natural environment to create a campus that enhances the beauty of place. Access roads and structures are intentionally sited to minimize impact on the diverse topography. Trails and elevated walkways are surgically inserted, providing both familiar and new ways of experiencing the landscape. Gathering spaces, playgrounds, and star-gazing platforms are situated to capitalize on natural terrain, utilizing the functional aspects of the natural environment. Alongside this, a finely tuned plant palette pays homage to the man-made forest that once was, while respecting and revitalizing the uniquely diverse native mixed grass prairie.  

In a robust natural setting, architectural solutions are only as successful as they are integrated with the landscape. The Lodge – the structural focal point of the campus – emerges harmoniously from the landscape, while recalling agrarian forms common throughout the Sandhills. Small cabins are situated in communities across the campus, creating the opportunity for both public and private engagement with the site. Large cabins, primarily intended for youth camps, are organized in neighborhoods fostering camaraderie between campers. Building forms and materiality strike a balance between functional and poetic – metal siding, structural steel, and cast concrete buffer against the harsh Sandhills environment, while wood beams and charred wood siding recall the beauty of place and the opportunity that rose from devastation. 

The Impact 

The Sandhills Discovery Center will carry forward the legacy of a beloved institution, support Nebraska’s eco- and agrotourism economy, and give a new generation of young people a place to connect with one of the most distinctive natural environments in the Great Plains. It will also serve as a regional hub for environmental education and as a model for how thoughtful design interventions can enhance the natural beauty of the environment and allow for a deeper appreciation of the landscape.