Dallas Museum for
Cultural Environmentalism
Dallas, Texas | Arch 508 | Fall 2016
The Art District of Dallas, TX is host to a great number of renowned museums which promote social and cultural diversity in the greater metropolitan area. To further encourage awareness and activism, the Dallas Arts District Foundation seeks to build the Dallas Museum for Cultural Environmentalism. While the main purpose of the museum is to promote awareness of the impact humans have on Earth, exhibits will also feature prominent environmentalist movements and cultures throughout the United States. Additionally, the museum will stand as a prime example of how the built and natural environments can co-exist harmoniously in bustling urban surroundings.
Located across the street from famous Klyde Warren Park, the Museum of Cultural Environmentalism emerges from the earth in a series of staggered wedge shapes. The form of the building stems from sunlight availability on the site, maximizing access to natural daylight. Sustainable plant pods cover a significant portion of the building’s façade, while a large, south-facing sloped roof is covered in plants native to the area. A reflecting pool at the base of the building’s slope holds rainwater collected on site, in addition to utilizing evapotranspiration to keep the roof greenhouse cool. Unique “didactic” pods – constructed of glulam – provide areas throughout the site for group gathering, informational exhibits, and workshops.
Visitors entering the museum are greeted to an expansive three-story atrium. On the ground floor, a café, gift shop, and main exhibition space are available to museum-goers. A suspended central glass stair takes visitors up to the next floor, providing access to educational classrooms, a research library, and interactive exhibits promoting sustainable living. One floor above is additional gallery space, administrative offices, a lounge, and large outdoor patio overlooking the Dallas skyline.
As the museum’s stand-out feature, visitors journeying to the roof get to experience an expansive greenhouse. With a sweeping glulam and glass canopy, adequate sunlight is provided for each of the four terraces. Rain water is collected from the canopy through an integrated gutter, which is filtered and then used for irrigation purposes. Enhancing the museum’s vision as a place for learning and exploration, the greenhouse provides four different soil depths and climate adaptability. This allows curators to create up to three unique ecosystems in close proximity for guests to discover.
