Can a Nature Center become a Community Catalyst?

Kennesaw State University // Studio v

Paulding County, Ga

The Raccoon Creek Watershed is located in Paulding County, Northwest of Atlanta GA. Raccoon Creek is an incredibly clean creek that is full of unique wildlife. The Creek is going to be used to facilitate the creation of a reservoir to supply drinking water for the county. Along with drinking water the center will also create a place for the community to gather and celebrate nature. The client wanted a place where the people of and around Paulding County could gather and celebrate their unique and special community and wildlife. The Raccoon Creek Community catalyst or RC3 is a project aimed at addressing those needs. The project is environmentally sustainable in material and function, RC3 also has a multitude of flex spaces to assure it can meet the changing needs of the community for years to come. RC3 is designed around a central courtyard. This courtyard is used to bring daylight and the natural world into every part of the center. RC3 also offers a number of expressive elements to help celebrate the unique parts of the culturally diverse community.

Community Creation Timeline

The project aims to be a community Catalyst. The timeline below shows the potential for community engagement throughout the year. Various programs/Architectural elements were designed to help facilitate this, elements such as an expressive facade that allows celebration of the various events. An interactive green-wall is also located in the central courtyard to increase human/nature experience.