Greenburgh Nature Center

Scarsdale, NY

Site master plan and birds of prey exhibit for a 30-acre suburban park

The Greenburgh Nature Center is a trail-crossed oasis of woodland and open space off a 10-mile commercial strip in Scarsdale, New York. Now guided by a new executive director and board of directors, the Nature Center wanted to expand beyond its central early 20th-century manor house to improve its facilities and further the expansion of its educational programs. The resulting master plan and feasibility study proposed adding a new education wing to the manor house and reimagined the entire 30-acre preserve. One component of the park, the Birds of Prey exhibit, was redesigned as an octagonal enclosure made up of wood-slat walls that provide a naturalistic environment that feels sheltered to the structure’s inhabitants while allowing the public a clear view of their behaviors.

Key details

• Directed the conversation among stakeholders toward a new vision of the Nature Center
• Identified the potential for the new facility to exemplify sustainable design
• Galvanized the board of directors and executive staff behind the new vision
• Conceptualized master site plan options to optimize the potential for sustainable design

Fact Sheet (134 KB PDF)