merchants millpond

location: Gatesville, NC
est. completion date: 2009
project team:
Frank Harmon
Erin Sterling

problem statement

The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation needed a 6500-square-foot Visitor Center plus outdoor education building at Merchants Millpond State Park in Gatesville, NC. Merchants Millpond is a Registered Natural Heritage Area that covers 1900 acres and includes the millpond and part of Lassiter Swamp. It was established as a state park so that its diverse biological, scenic, archaeological, geological and recreational values could be protected. The Division of Parks and Recreation is charged with preserving these values and providing park experiences that promote pride in and understanding of North Carolina’s natural heritage.

our design response

Merchants Millpond has a variety of exceptional and unusual scenic resources.
The Visitor Center is sited uphill from the pond and parallel to the bank so that every space has a breathtaking view along the southeast side of the building. A welcoming porch is also located along that elevation so visitors can easily step outside and enjoy the surroundings. Clerestory windows on the northwest face of the building bring ambient light into the reception area, lobby and exhibit space. The adjacent auditorium and classroom are connected to one another and are designed to be as flexible as possible to accommodate several functions. From the classroom a trail leads to a detached, open-air classroom at the edge of the pond.

True to its mission of preserving the natural environment, the NC Division of Parks and Recreation wanted the Visitor Center to be as green, or sustainable, as possible. Features include: geothermal wells, solar hot water, photovoltaic cells for generating electricity, rain water cisterns for landscape irrigation, and passive solar heating.