Hidden Oaks
Nature Center

Bolingbrook, Illinois

Interpretive Master Plan; Exhibit, Graphic and Wayfinding Design, Fabrication and Installation

Hidden Oaks Nature Center occupies land that abounds with archaeological, geological and natural history. We utilized the trails, deck, roof and porches of the building and its interior spaces, including the restrooms, for interpretive storytelling. Sculptures along the approach trails introduced visitors to species that lived on this land 3,000, 10,000 and 500 million years ago. Inside, we sliced a recreation of a bur oak to reveal how a tree works and built a glass floor at its base to expose its root structure and the animals who make their home within it,  and built an interactive wall of the sounds and scents visitors might encounter on the trails.